News

This is one sample of 24 news releases customized by county or tribe throughout Washington.

Pacific County, WA – The results are in from the recent Drive Hammered, Get Nailed enforcement campaign conducted from August 19 through September 5.

In Pacific County, officers on routine and extra patrols arrested nine motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), and statewide, law enforcement officers arrested 1,824 drivers for DUI.

In Pacific County, the Raymond and South Bend Police Departments, the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol participated in the extra DUI patrols, with the support of the Pacific County Target Zero Task Force. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

More than 40 percent of the DUI traffic deaths occur in Washington during the summer months. That is why these extra patrols are so important and are helping to make a difference. According to preliminary 2010 data, the number of DUI traffic deaths decreased by 16.5 percent compared to the previous five year average.

—waTikiLeaks.com Covers Pierce, King and Snohomish Counties

(Olympia) — Do you want to know when and where officers will be looking for people Driving Under the Influence (DUI)? If you’re planning on driving in Pierce, King or Snohomish Counties, you can go to the web for that.

waTikiLeaks.com has a Washington state map with those three counties activated. Click on a county and you get dates, times and locations for upcoming DUI patrols.

The site has a mobile version, so you can easily view the information on your smart phone. waTikiLeaks.com has sharing options so you can effortlessly share information on Twitter or Facebook.

Pierce, King and Snohomish Counties are participating in a special two-year Target Zero Teams project, with a goal of reducing deaths caused by DUI. To reach the goal, the Teams are doing what they can to deter and take enforcement against DUI.

Information on waTikiLeaks.com is posted by local Traffic Safety Task Forces who are participating in Target Zero Teams. Why are they leaking information that could help drivers avoid tickets and arrests? The task forces promote safe driving on a community level, and one method is to encourage sober driving.

The site is sponsored by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

This is one sample of news releases customized by county or tribe throughout Washington.

Online Speed Survey Results also Released

Lewis County, WA – Between July 15 and  August 7 extra law enforcement patrols were out in search of speeding drivers.

During the patrols in Lewis County, 171 speeding tickets were written in addition to one felony and one misdemeanor warrant arrest, 18 aggressive driving citations, four seat belt tickets, as well as 13 uninsured motorist and nine suspended/revoked license violations.

Participating in these extra patrols were the Centralia, Chehalis, Morton and Winlock Police Departments, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol.

According to an online survey conducted during these patrols, of the eight multiple choice questions asked, the majority of respondents answered six of the questions correctly. The final question was open ended. See the results below.

The Lewis County DUI Traffic Safety Task Force supported the extra patrols, funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

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CONSIDER THIS YOUR WARNING
SPEEDING QUIZ
1. TRUE OR FALSE: About 20% of all traffic fatalities involve speeding drivers.
Correct Answer: FALSE. (More than 40% involve a speeder. Source: Target Zero: Washington State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2010)
Respondents:
True – 56.2%
False – 43.8%

2. TRUE OR FALSE: Most of Washington’s traffic deaths occur on freeways.
Correct Answer: FALSE. (Most of Washington’s fatal and serious-injury crashes occur on rural roads, which are often unlighted and undivided. Source: Target Zero: Washington State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2010)
Respondents:
True – 29.3%
False – 70.7%

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Children and the elderly are most likely to die in crashes due to speeding.
Correct Answer: FALSE. (More than 40% of people who died in crashes caused by speeders were young persons ages 16-25. Source: Washington FARS)
Respondents:
True – 59.6%
False – 40.4%

4. Most miles are driven Monday through Friday. When do most serious injury and fatal speeding crashes occur?
Correct Answer: WEEKENDS. (Nearly half of all serious injury and fatal speeding crashes occurred between 6pm Friday and 6am Monday. But speeding enforcement happens every day. Source: Washington FARS and WTSC)
Respondents:
Weekdays – 26.1%
Weekends – 73.9%

5. TRUE OR FALSE:  A speeding ticket can cost as much as $411.
Correct Answer: TRUE. (The average speeding ticket in Washington is about $156 but as your speed increases, so does the fine. In fact, a speeding ticket in Washington could easily cost more than $411. Source: WTSC based on the AOC Bail Schedule)
Respondents:
True – 94.5%
False – 5.5%

6. If the posted speed limit is 60 mph, and you are speeding at 75 mph, how much time will you save on a 20 mile trip?
Correct Answer: 4 minutes. (If you are stopped by law enforcement for speeding at 75 mph in a 60 mph zone, the ticket will cost $156. Those minutes you thought you were saving will now cost you $39 each. And an average traffic stop takes 10-15 minutes, so now you’ve actually lost time. Source: WTSC and Washington Courts)
Respondents:
15 minutes – 6.9%
8 minutes – 9.3%
4 minutes – 83.8%

7. Driving at 30 mph on dry pavement requires a stopping distance of 41 yards or nearly half of a football field. How far is the stopping distance traveling at 60 mph?
Correct Answer: 120 yards. (In this case, doubling your speed actually triples the stopping distance. And the faster you go, the worse it gets. On wet pavement it takes even longer to stop. Source: Lawrence D. Woolf, Ph.D. Staying Alive: The Physics, Mathematics, and Engineering of Safe Driving)
Respondents:
60 yards – 5.3%
82 yards – 31.8%
120 yards – 62.9%

8. Are Males or Females more likely to die as a result of speeding-related crashes?
Correct Answer: Males. (Males accounted for 79% of all traffic deaths caused by speeders. Source: Washington FARS)
Respondents:
Males – 81.5%
Females – 18.5%

9. How many fatal speeding crashes are predicted to occur in Washington in the year 2030?
Correct Answer: Zero. (Source: Target Zero: Washington State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2010)
Respondents:
Zero – 8%
All Other Answers – 92%

This is one sample of 24 news releases customized by county or tribe throughout Washington.

Be Aware of Statewide DUI Patrols from August 19 through September 5

Whatcom County, WA – Seven people died in Whatcom County in Driving Under the Influence (DUI) crashes last year.*

In an effort to save lives, extra officers will be looking for DUI drivers between August 19 and September 5 during the annual Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign.

Last year in Whatcom County, during the same time period, officers on routine and extra patrols arrested 60 people for DUI. For all of 2010, in Whatcom County, 1,294 people were charged with DUI.**

A new law called “Hailey’s Law” went into effect on July 22, 2011. Now all DUI arrestees’ cars will be towed and impounded for at least 12 hours. Only a registered or legal owner who was not in the car at the time of arrest is allowed to get the car out of impound before the mandatory 12 hours.

“This new law helps eliminate the danger of drunk drivers getting back into their cars and putting everyone at risk,” said Lowell Porter, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “Now all drunk drivers face the costs of towing and impound in addition to jail time, losing their driver’s license, and the high cost of a DUI.”

The Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, and Western Washington University Police Departments, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol will join nearly 10,000 other agencies nationwide in this Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign.***

The Whatcom County Traffic Safety Task Force organizes and supports this enforcement effort.

* According to Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This is preliminary data pulled on 7/18/11.

** According to the Administrative Office of the Courts: http://www.courts.wa.gov/caseload/?fa=caseload.showReport&level=d&freq=a&tab=CourtLevel&fileID=rpt07

*** http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/planners/crackdown2011/index.cfm#em

This is one sample of news releases customized by county throughout Washington.

Consider This Your Warning. Law Enforcement Will Be Out on Spokane, Whitman and Pend Oreille County Roads for Speeding Patrols

Spokane, Whitman and Pend Oreille Counties, WA – Between July 15 and August 7, law enforcement officers throughout Spokane, Whitman and Pend Oreille Counties will be part of a statewide effort in search of speeding drivers.

On July 14, law enforcement officers from Ellensburg to Spokane will be distributing educational information to citizens about the dangers of speeding, to kick-off this statewide speeding campaign. Drivers need to be sure they obey posted speed limits and slow down in heavy traffic and bad weather. The speed law is strictly enforced.

With summer upon us, there are a lot more people out and about, both as pedestrians and drivers. Unfortunately some driving habits such as speeding don’t change. It’s an alarming fact that even driving at 30 miles per hour requires a stopping distance of 41 yards. That’s eight car lengths or almost half of a football field! (Source: Lawrence D. Woolf, Ph.D. Staying Alive: The Physics, Mathematics, and Engineering of Safe Driving)

How much do you know about the dangers of speeding?  Take this short quiz below.

TRUE OR FALSE: About 20% of all traffic fatalities in Washington involve speeding drivers. FALSE. More than 40% involve a speeder. (Source: Target Zero: Washington State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2010)

TRUE OR FALSE:  A speeding ticket can cost as much as $411.  TRUE. The average speeding ticket in Washington is $156, but as your speed increases, so does the fine. In fact, a speeding ticket in Washington could easily cost more than $411. (Source: WTSC based on the AOC Bail Schedule)

TRUE OR FALSE: Most of Washington’s traffic deaths occur on freeways. FALSE. Most of Washington’s fatal and serious-injury crashes occur on rural roads, which are often unlighted and undivided. (Source: Target Zero: Washington State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2010)

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission and the Spokane County Target Zero Task Force urges all Washingtonians to take this speeding quiz.  Visit www.considerthisyourwarning.com for these and many more brain teasers. Results will be tabulated on the accuracy of Washington drivers’ answers and available in August.

“Speeding is a major contributing factor in fatal and serious injury crashes in Washington, and therefore, is a priority of Target Zero,” said Lowell Porter, Director of the Traffic Safety Commission.  “Well publicized and highly visible speed enforcement is a proven combination that reduces fatal crashes. Obeying speed limits is something everyone can do to support highway safety in Washington.”