SPOKANE, Wash. – Washington State Patrol is reminding drivers that the long Labor Day Weekend can be one of the most dangerous times to be on the road.
State law enforcement agencies in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona are partnering up for a special effort to remind the public that impaired driving is one of the leading causes of traffic fatalities. The want to emphasize that driving at any time while impaired by any substance is against the law.
The National Safety Council is predicting there will be about 400 traffic fatalities across the U.S. during the long weekend. Officers and troopers will be on the roads in full force looking for evidence of impaired driving across the western U.S. with the message, “there is no safe place for impaired driving.”
According to Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste, “impaired driving is a leading factor in traffic deaths in our state. This is especially poignant during the long Labor Day weekend when families are traveling together for the last taste of summer.”
“In the past 10 years, the Washington State patrol has averaged almost 15,000 DUI arrests each year and responds annually to over 2,100 collisions where DUI is involved. On average, 250 people die on our state’s highways each year because of impaired driving. Don’t let yourself, a loved one, the stranger, or the family in the other car become part of these statistics this weekend,” Batiste said.
