A green light usually means one thing: go. But according to Redmond Police, one driver in Washington needed a little extra encouragement to remember that recently, and it came in the form of flashing lights in the rearview mirror.
On June 23 at around 4:55 p.m., a Redmond officer was watching traffic near NE 76th Street and 148th Avenue NE when they spotted a driver holding a phone while stopped at a red light. That alone is illegal under Washington’s distracted driving law, but the situation got even more interesting once the light turned green. Instead of putting the phone down and driving, the person kept scrolling, seemingly unaware that traffic around them had started moving. The officer pulled the driver over for distracted driving, and the whole thing was caught on video.
It is the kind of moment that makes you shake your head and maybe laugh a little, because we have all been stuck behind someone who is clearly more interested in their screen than the road ahead. The difference here is that this driver did not just glance down for a second. They missed an entire light cycle change, which is the automotive equivalent of sleeping through your alarm and then hitting snooze five more times.
This stop is not an isolated incident either. Redmond Police say collisions in the area have been on the rise, prompting officers to ramp up emphasis patrols targeting speeding and distracted driving.
Part of a Bigger Regional Push
The traffic stop ties into the King County Target Zero Coalition’s 100 Safe Days of Summer campaign, a regional effort running through Labor Day.
Departments across the county are leaning into extra patrols during what is historically one of the busiest travel stretches of the year, when road trips, barbecues, and beach runs mean more cars sharing the same stretches of asphalt.
Even “Full Self-Driving” Does Not Get You Off the Hook
Here is a detail worth flagging for the tech-savvy crowd. Redmond Police specifically addressed drivers using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) systems, reminding everyone that Washington law still requires your full attention behind the wheel. Whether your car has lane assist, adaptive cruise, or a full suite of driver assistance tech, you are still the one legally responsible for operating it safely.
A handheld phone violation applies the same way it would in a car from 1995.
A Simple, Old-School Reminder
The message from police is refreshingly simple. Slow down, stay focused, and let the phone wait.
A text or social post is not worth a crash, a citation, or an insurance headache.
Green lights are basically the road telling you it is your turn. Most of us do not need convincing, but a reminder now and then never hurts, especially heading into a busy summer travel season.