KEVANNA PARK — Seventy people gathered at the Washington State Patrol district headquarters in Vancouver to discuss traffic safety on March 13. State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste said fatal collisions in the state are far too high and cut across all racial, regional, gender and age groups. “We need your help to understand this growing problem and help us change dangerous driving behaviors that impact us all,” Batiste told the gathering. Those attending included representatives from city and county government, police agencies, tribes and state agencies, as well as several students from local high schools.

“Far too many young people lose their lives on our highways so the issues we are discussing today — distracted driving, impaired driving, driving too fast, and without a seat belt — are really all about you, your safety and your futures,” Batiste told the students. Fatalities tied to distracted driving were up 36.4 percent in 2023 and all vehicular fatalities were up by 9 percent that same year, with 810 fatalities on the state’s roadways, the group learned. An early review of 2024 data shows only slight improvement as the numbers are still higher than in the past, affecting every racial and age demographic, but particularly drivers between the ages of 18 and 25, according to the State Patrol.