KING COUNTY, WA - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County and other members of the King County Traffic Safety Coalition announced their plan to increase the number of officers on patrol during the Memorial Day weekend. The officers will be patrolling and arresting intoxicated and dangerous drivers along Highway 99 and throughout King County.
"Too many people choose to commemorate holidays with a deadly mix of alcohol and driving," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "I encourage people to find safer ways to celebrate."
"Alcohol-related crashes are not 'accidents' because they are totally preventable," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.
Similar patrols during the Cinco de Mayo weekend stopped more than 90 unsafe drivers and resulted in 12 driving under the influence (DUI) arrests.
This weekend's Traffic Safety Patrols will include:
- the King County Sheriff's Office
- the Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Seattle, Shoreline, SeaTac and Tukwila Police Departments
- the Washington State Patrol
Additional Washington State Liquor Control Agents will also be on patrol throughout the County.
Highway 99 is the focus of the Traffic Safety Patrol because there are five times as many alcohol-related crashes on Highway 99, compared to all other state highways in King County.
During the 1999-2000 Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day patrols along Highway 99, over 20 extra officers made 775 stops for unsafe driving actions and cited 50 people for DUI.
Since 1999, there have been 1,897 stops for unsafe driving actions and 193 DUI arrests during Traffic Safety Patrols.
The King County Traffic Safety Coalition is chaired and staffed by Public Health-Seattle & King County and is comprised of the law enforcement agencies listed above, epidemiologists, representatives from the beverage industry, the Washington State Liquor Control Board, alcohol/drug prevention and treatment organizations, DUI victims' groups, traffic engineers and others.
