title: "I wasn't texting; I was just reading an email …": a qualitative study of distracted driving enforcement in Washington State.
abstract: In response to the rise of distracted driving, many countries and most US states have adopted laws to restrict the use of handheld phones for drivers. Specific provisions of each law and the overall social mores of distracted driving influence enforceability and impact.
  
  
  
  Identify multilevel interdependent factors that influence distracted driving enforcement through the perspective of police officers.
  
  
  
  We conducted focus group discussions with active duty law enforcement officers from three large Washington State counties. Our thematic analysis used descriptive and pattern coding that placed our findings within a social ecological framework to facilitate targeted intervention development.
  
  
  
  Participants reported that the distracted driving law posed challenges for consistent and effective enforcement. They emphasised the need to change social norms around distracted driving, similar to the shifts seen around impaired driving. Many participants were themselves distracted drivers, and their individual knowledge, attitude and beliefs influenced enforcement. Participants suggested that law enforcement leaders and policymakers should develop and implement policies and strategies to prioritise and motivate increased distracted driving enforcement.
  
  
  
  Individual, interpersonal, organisational and societal factors influence enforcement of distracted driving laws. Targeted interventions should be developed to address distracted driving and sustain effective enforcement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Nevin
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.|Departments of Health Services and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blanar
authors.affiliation: Public Health-Seattle and King County, Seattle, Washington USA.
authors.forename: Annie Phare
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.affiliation: King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Seattle, Washington USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Freedheim
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.affiliation: Public Health-Seattle and King County, Seattle, Washington USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hitchcock
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Maeser
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.|Departments of Health Services and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.|Seattle Children's Hospital and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Beth E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Ebel
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D034201:Computers, Handheld / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000071826:Distracted Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016495:Police; D011050:Policy Making; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014861:Washington