AAA Washington

Our team was hard at work last week – but in a different way than usual! From Sammamish to Spokane, 46 AAA Washington volunteers helped make our state a little greener through habitat rehabilitation and litter cleanup. Over at Lake Sammamish State Park, our volunteers made a significant impact removing invasive blackberry plants from a field along the Issaquah River. Luckily, we had our long-time partner Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust leading the event to show us the best way to trim and remove the blackberry bushes so they don’t come back and providing the needed tools! This was just a first step though. Once the field is cleared of invasive plants, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust will plant native plants to restore this salmon habitat. In Spokane, our employees partnered with the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department to lend a hand in keeping Manito Park pristine. They cleaned up lots of plastic litter, particularly confetti.

One of the biggest distractions for teen drivers? Other teens in the car. Our CEO Heather Snavely discusses anxieties that come with teaching teen drivers and how parents can influence better driving behaviors.

As we embark on our journey toward transitioning to a zero-emissions fleet, we're committed to prioritizing our members' needs while advocating for cleaner air and healthier communities. Thank you, Climate Solutions, for capturing our story of innovation and determination as we work towards decarbonizing our fleet. It's been a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience! #ClimateAction #CleanAir #ZeroEmissions #Sustainability

Let’s hear it for our Travel Advisors! Last year, their know-how and expertise helped turn nearly 20,000 vacation ideas into personalized and well-planned adventures. There’s so much to see in this wide world, and they’re experts at making that destination inspiration a reality perfectly fit for you.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and everyone is paying attention! With traffic fatalities at a 30-year high (!!!) across Washington state, there are a lot of folks bringing awareness to the issue and trying to do something about it. At AAA WA, this year we are focusing our efforts on teens, a cohort of our community particularly impacted by distraction. If you have a teen in your life who is of driving age, please take a moment to check out my conversation with FOX 13 Seattle this morning and please help spread the word! #SaferMobilityForAll #Teens #Community #SafeDriveClub

Thank you to the City of Bellevue for recognizing our efforts in promoting distraction-free driving! Last week, the City of Bellevue passed a proclamation in support of Distracted Driving Awareness Month and invited Laura Ray, VP of Corporate Affairs and ESG, to receive the proclamation on behalf of AAA Washington. Laura shared details on our “Don’t Drive Distracted” campaign and partnership with Bellevue native and Safe Drive Club founder, Ishika Binu. We are honored by this acknowledgment of our past and present work promoting distraction-free driving and appreciative of the City's Vision Zero efforts and support of Safe System policies to help all road users make it safely to their destinations.

🌎 This Earth month, we're proud to reaffirm our commitment to sustainability and celebrate the impact of small, daily actions on our planet. Throughout April, we’re engaging our employees in a sustainability challenge, encouraging them to adopt eco-friendly practices in their daily lives. From reducing waste to conserving energy, our team is making a difference, one step at a time. The month isn’t over yet, but already we've witnessed the power of collective action. By raising awareness and promoting sustainable living, we're driving positive change within our organization and beyond. We wholeheartedly support and are working toward a more sustainable future for all, both in our business and within our team. Together, we're going beyond Earth Month and committing to a sustainable tomorrow.

Meet Ishika Binu! Ishika is a Bellevue teen whose advocacy for safer roads and healthcare resonates across her community and beyond. Her life changed on the way to Bharatanatyam dance class in late 2018. A driver crashed into their vehicle, leaving Ishika fearing for her sister's life. Rushed to the hospital with a concussion while her sister suffered from paralysis from the chest down, the crash sparked a new mission for Ishika. “I was shouting my sister’s name as she remained still. I quickly became terrified that she was dead… fortunately, everybody recovered from that near-fatal accident even though our mental scars remain. Since then, I’ve worked relentlessly on increasing awareness of road safety and helping kids who need help recovering from accidents and trauma,” said Ishika. Ishika embarked on a crusade against distracted driving by creating the Safe Drive Club, which educates and empowers drivers, particularly teens, to prioritize road safety. The Safe Drive Club’s mission is to help new drivers understand the dangers of distracted driving and better prepare them for the road ahead. The pledge further reminds experienced drivers of the huge impact distracted driving can have upon people and their families. The Girl Scouts of Western Washington awarded Ishika’s DriveSafe Club the National Gold Scholarship, a prestigious national award. This year, she is partnering with AAA Washington to further extend the reach and impact of her Safe Drive Club. Ishika's commitment to service extends beyond road safety. She’s logged over 500 hours volunteering at underserved urban clinics, serving patients at the Swedish Medical Center. She also founded Arts4Assistance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that harnesses the power of the performing arts to provide assistance for medical needs in underserved communities. Ishika’s dedication to creating safer roads and healthier communities propels her toward greater aspirations of helping others. Now in her first year of college, she plans to become a trauma neurosurgeon and continue advocating for safer roads. Ishika epitomizes the transformative power of resilience, compassion, and unwavering determination. We’re proud to partner with Ishika to promote distraction-free driving throughout Washington communities, especially those most at risk, like younger drivers.

For 120 years, AAA Washington has been a champion of safer mobility for all road users. While we work year-round to enhance traffic safety and promote equity on Washington's roadways, much of that work happens in the beginning of each year during Washington’s legislative session. 2024’s legislative session, which wrapped up in March, was no different. Here’s a quick recap of our 2024 legislative efforts: 1. Prioritizing Equity and Safety at Traffic Stops AAA Washington supported legislation aimed at bolstering equity in traffic safety for vulnerable road users. HB 1513 would have prioritized traffic safety violations while providing assistance to low-income drivers for “fix it ticket” violations. SB 5383 sought to amend pedestrian crossing laws to accommodate marginalized communities that don’t have access to sidewalks and crosswalks. Unfortunately, neither of these bills passed this year. 2. Enhancing Traffic Safety: Automated Traffic Enforcement Cameras AAA Washington supported two bills (HB 2384 and SB 6115) to address the alarming spike in traffic fatalities in recent years, with speed being one of the top causes. These bills focus on regulating the use of cameras while ensuring transparent public notice procedures. Both bills passed, and we applaud the legislature's attention to equity concerns, including camera placement and reduced penalties for eligible individuals.

Safe Drive Club founder Ishika Binu and AAA WA's Laura Ray sat down with Seattle's Child to talk about the importance of distraction-free driving and our "Don't Drive Distracted" campaign.