Why you should cool it on the road during coronavirus outbreak in Washington

Seattle-area highways have been emptier than usual with so many people working from home during the coronavirus outbreak.

But the Washington state troopers say they're worried about some of the behavior they're seeing out on the road.

Trooper Chris Thorson joined KUOW’s Angela King to explain why he put out a Twitter video urging people to cool their jets.

Chris Thorson: There's a lot of fear here in Washington state, fear and anxiety, over this outbreak. A lot of people are worried about their health, the health of themselves and their loved ones. They're worried about going to grocery stores, getting medical supplies, food, and they're also worried about their employment, being able to pay their bills. And I thought, 'hey, why not put out a unified message of something that we can all control 100%?' And that's the way you decide to drive out on the roadway.

Angela King: So you have concerns about road rage with everything that everyone's facing right now.

Thorson: We do. And, you know, with everything else going on, this is the last thing that people need to deal with, going from their homes to the grocery store, from their homes to the doctor's office -- someone out driving aggressively, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or just taking advantage of the situation in general.

King: We're hearing reports that some troopers might be pulling over fewer drivers to minimize the exposure to those who could be infected with the coronavirus.

Thorson: That's true. We limited access to all of our state patrol facilities as far as in-person walk-in to our front counters. We've also refocused our efforts as far as the troopers out on the highway. We're going to prioritize urgent and criminal responses over some proactive measures that we regularly do day in and day out.

King: What about precautions you personally are taking out in the field?

Thorson: We're limiting exposure and contact with people that we don't necessarily have to have contact with. We’re practicing our social distancing, keeping enough space, because the last thing we want as a first responder agency is for our troopers, our employees to get sick and having this virus run through the Washington State Patrol.

King: But you are still handing out those tickets?

Thorson: We are. Troopers are out on the highways right now. We are 100% staffed. They are currently out looking for aggressive drivers, criminal activity, DUI, and also responding to 9-1-1 emergency calls.