More than 120 law enforcement agencies across the state will take part in High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) patrols from Dec. 14 through Jan. 1 in an effort to remove impaired drivers from Washington’s roads this holiday season.
“As of the end of October this year, there were 639 people in Washington who died in traffic crashes, and whose chairs will be empty at holiday gatherings,” said the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) in a news release. “Each year, the holidays bring friends, families, and loved ones together. However, for too many families, this time of year is also a stark reminder of those who are missing from the celebrations.”
In addition to the extra patrols, the WTSC reminds all Washington residents that there are simple things everyone can do to prevent impaired driving, such as planning ahead for a sober ride home if you will be out drinking alcohol or using cannabis. Friends and loved ones can help to prevent DUIs by offering a sober ride, calling a rideshare or offering a place to sleep.
“Traffic fatalities reached a 20-year high in 2021, and preliminary data through October shows that there have been 15% more deaths so far in 2022, compared to the first 10 months of 2021,” said Mark McKechnie from the WTSC. “Every year, more than half of traffic fatalities involve impaired drivers.”
The executive director of the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council, Linda Thompson, has dedicated her life’s work to preventing these tragic deaths after losing her 3-year-old son to a multiple repeat DUI offender in 1986.
“In an instant, our little guy was taken because someone made the choice to drive impaired — totally unaware that the pain they caused will dwell in our hearts forever,” said Thompson.
Lori Markowitz also lost her son, Josh, in 2021 to an impaired hit-and-run driver who was driving at a high rate of speed on city streets.
“I’m not the same person I was before the night Josh was killed,” said Markowitz, “But in the year-plus since, I have had an opportunity to learn some things. Until my family was affected, for example, I never knew traffic crashes were preventable. That we have the tools to reduce them.”
The WTSC also encourages people who observe someone who may be driving impaired or driving erratically to call 911. Erratic driving can include swerving in and out of their lane, sudden speeding, sudden or inappropriate braking, or making wide turns.
“Impaired driving crashes are totally preventable. We can all do our part to keep impaired drivers off our roads so that no one has to miss their loved ones during the holiday season,” McKechnie said.
