Statewide DUI Patrols Underway Through The Holidays

OLYMPIA, WA — More than 120 law enforcement agencies will conduct DUI patrols through New Year's Eve amid a particularly deadly year on Washington roads. According to the state Traffic Safety Commission, 639 people died in crashes through the end of October, and the toll could reach 700 by the end of the year.

"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, a WTSC spokesperson. "Every year, more than half of traffic fatalities involve impaired drivers."

As the number of traffic deaths has risen in Washington, the share involving drivers with alcohol or drugs in their system has also grown, from 233 crashes in 2018 to 312 last year.

Bolstering the effort to remove dangerous drivers from the road, law enforcement across the state began a new round of high visibility, or "HiVE," patrols Wednesday and will continue them through New Year's Day.

WSTC officials ask Washingtonians to plan ahead if their celebrations include alcohol or marijuana use by setting up a sober ride home from family, friends, or a rideshare service. For others on the road, commissioners encourage witnesses to call 911 if they see someone driving erratically, including swerving in and out of lanes, speeding and braking suddenly.

"Impaired driving crashes are totally preventable," McKechnie said. "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."