Drunk and excessive drivers are one of many largest risks on our roads.
In 2023, 809 people were killed in site visitors crashes in Washington — essentially the most in additional than 30 years, and about 50% greater than in 2019. The quantity dipped to 731 final 12 months, and early information reveals about 450 deaths by way of the tip of September. That’s progress, however nonetheless far too many lives misplaced.
For many years, about half of all lethal crashes in our state have concerned an impaired driver. Alcohol remains to be the main issue, however extra folks are actually mixing alcohol with different medication like hashish. That mixture is lethal, making enforcement even tougher.
Some lawmakers wish to decrease the authorized blood-alcohol restrict from .08% to .05%. I perceive the frustration — all of us need safer roads — however that received’t remedy the issue. We have to repair the components of the system which can be already failing.
Let’s begin with the state toxicology lab.
The Washington State Patrol’s lab has a backlog of about 17,000 instances. It could take a 12 months to course of alcohol exams and practically two years for instances involving a number of medication. These lengthy delays trigger DUI instances to be thrown out as a result of they violate speedy trial necessities. Meaning there aren’t any penalties for that impaired driver who will find yourself proper again on the highway, with probably lethal penalties.
That’s not justice, and it’s not maintaining folks protected.
This 12 months, my colleagues and I secured $3 million in onetime funding to assist cut back the backlog. That’s a begin, however we’d like a long-term repair. The lab wants extra skilled employees, regular funding and the flexibleness to work with outdoors labs when wanted.
We even have a severe compliance challenge with ignition interlock necessities. These units cease repeat offenders from driving drunk once more — in idea. In actuality, solely about one in 4 offenders who’re ordered to put in one truly do it. Too many individuals can ignore the regulation.
The Legislature funded native regulation enforcement and probation officers to conduct compliance checks, which ought to assist. Enforcement must be constant.
Right here’s one other key level: From 2015 to 2024, the Washington Site visitors Security Fee discovered that almost 1,300 site visitors deaths concerned drivers with a blood alcohol content material above the present authorized restrict of .08%. By comparability, simply over 120 fatalities concerned drivers within the .05% to .079% vary. Each life misplaced is a tragedy. But when the aim is to avoid wasting essentially the most lives, Washington ought to deal with implementing the legal guidelines we have already got — as a result of essentially the most severe crashes are brought on by drivers who’re far over the present restrict, not these hovering slightly below it. Reducing the restrict to .05%, as some have instructed, dangers diverting consideration and sources away from the worst offenders and undermining efforts to carry really harmful drivers accountable.
We all know what works: enforcement and accountability. When police had extra instruments to pursue suspects and DUI patrols elevated, site visitors deaths went down. That’s what saved lives.
Reducing the authorized restrict isn’t a powerful response as a result of it doesn’t repair what’s damaged. Till we deal with the backlog, implement ignition interlock legal guidelines and ensure regulation enforcement has the sources they want, impaired drivers will get away with ruining different folks’s lives.
Each time a DUI case is dropped due to delays or lack of follow-up, society suffers.
Let’s deal with higher options — fixing the system, implementing the regulation, and holding offenders accountable. That’s how we make our roads safer for everybody.
