KING COUNTY, WA - On the weekend preceding Halloween, extra law enforcement officers serving the King County area will join their counterparts in western Washington counties to conduct a series of traffic safety emphasis patrols.

Dubbed "Surround the Sound," this multi-agency effort will be conducted in the ten counties bordering the waters of Puget Sound. King County officials join with these law enforcement agencies in urging safe driving practices over the Halloween weekend.

"Let's leave the scares and surprises for haunted houses, not on our roads," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "We want to be sure that everyone has fun safely this weekend."

People who are out celebrating the Halloween weekend can expect officers to pay particular attention to drinking drivers. In 1999, 635 people in Washington State were killed in traffic crashes. Nearly 200 of these people were in crashes that involved alcohol.

"Alcohol-related crashes are not considered accidents because they are completely preventable and predictable," according to Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director for Public Health - Seattle & King County. "If you are going to drink over the Halloween Weekend, don't drive. Stay at home, take a taxi or have a designated driver in the group who will not be drinking, period.

"Not only is it dangerous to drive under the influence of alcohol, but it is also illegal," said King County Sheriff David Reichert. "Anyone caught driving with a .08% or greater blood alcohol level will be arrested."

Officers from the Washington State Patrol, the King County Sheriff's Office, and Shoreline, SeaTac, Federal Way, Seattle, Tukwila, Des Moines, and Kent police departments will be also be looking for drivers who exceed the speed limit, fail to wear safety belts or commit other traffic violations. A special area of focus for the many of the officers will be along the Highway 99 corridor within King County.

Drivers are urged to be particularly careful on the evening of Halloween, when many small children are out trick-or-treating.

In addition, agents from the Washington State Liquor Control Board will perform underage and over-service checks in licensed establishments in conjunction with the emphasis patrol on Friday, Saturday, and Halloween.

The emphasis patrol is coordinated by the King County Traffic Safety Coalition (KCTSC). Formed in 1998, the KCTSC is chaired by Public Health -Seattle & King County and includes the law enforcement agencies listed above, health educators, epidemiolgists, liquor industry representatives, the Washington State Liquor Control Board, victims groups, traffic engineers, and numerous others.

Since KCTSC began coordinating these traffic safety emphasis patrols in 1999, over 1000 people have been stopped for unsafe driving actions and over 80 people have been cited with driving under the influence (DUI) along Highway 99 in King County

"Surround the Sound" DUI & traffic safety emphasis patrols will be also be conducted in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties. These activities ares coordinated by local DUI & Traffic Safety Task Forces and is supported by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

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