NEWS RELEASE

Slow Down or Pay Up - Result From Speeding Law Enforcement Campaign Announced

December 6, 2006

Results from the first wave of the new speed enforcement campaign in Washington were released today. Of the 12,657 stops made in the two enforcement zones, located in Pierce and Snohomish counties, there were a total of 10,518 infractions/citations issued, 8,613 for speeding. The wave of enforcement took place on various days during the last three weeks of October and the first two weeks of November.

In addition to the substantial number of citations written for speeding during the first wave of this campaign, law enforcement officers also detained and/or cited drivers for infractions including:

• 24 individuals taken into custody on outstanding felony warrants and seven additional felony arrests made
• Nine stolen cars were recovered
• 68 individuals arrested on misdemeanor warrants
• 306 individuals arrested for driving with a suspended or revoked license
• 1,129 drivers cited as uninsured motorists

• 14 individuals arrested for driving under the influence (DUI)
• 20 individuals arrested for drug-related offenses
• Nine individuals arrested for other alcohol infractions/citations such as underage drinking and open containers
• 82 citations issued for aggressive driving
• Seven individuals arrested for reckless driving
• 441 infractions issued for seat belt use
• 33 infractions issued for child protective safety
• 103 infractions/citations issued for other criminal activity
• 26 infractions issued for intermediate driver’s license restriction violations

This campaign is significant as it is a pilot project, the goal of which is to reduce collisions and the average speed of motorists. If successful in these two counties, it may be replicated in other jurisdictions statewide.

“This is good news for the safety of all Washingtonians and other drivers on our roads and highways,” said Governor Chris Gregoire.  “Not only does it remind us to drive within the speed limit and to make safe decisions, it also increases the safety for other drivers on the roads.”

The enforcement results were obtained by officers from the Arlington, Bonney Lake, Bothell, Brier, Dupont, Eatonville, Edmonds, Fife, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Puyallup, Ruston, Stanwood, Sultan, Sumner and Tacoma Police Departments along with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol. The first wave of enforcement for the “Slow Down or Pay Up” project was coordinated through Pierce County and Snohomish County Traffic Safety Task Forces and additional waves are planned for January, April and July 2007.

“These stellar results were a product of several law enforcement agencies working collaboratively to get drivers to slow down and drive more safely,” said Lowell Porter, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC).

All enforcement areas were selected because they represent the worst areas in Washington State for speeding related crashes. Taken as whole, more than 1/3 of all the state highway collisions in the enforcement zones involved speeding drivers.

Special “Speed Law” road signs were posted by the Department of Transportation throughout the enforcement areas as an extra reminder for motorists to abide by the speeding laws. The speed law is different than the speed limit and is enforced when a driver is either exceeding the posted speed limit and/or exceeding a reasonably safe speed for road conditions.

“Slow Down or Pay Up” was initiated by Governor Gregoire, who, in April 2005, during a Government Management Accountability and Performance session, tasked the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the Washington Department of Transportation and the Washington State Patrol with reducing the number of speed related collisions.

This project was possible because of $300,000 of federal funding obtained and administered by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission in conjunction with a grant from State Farm Insurance. State Farm is a long-time advocate of roadway and occupant safety, working to reduce crash-related deaths and injuries.