Published June 6 2023
As the summer driving season gets underway, so is the 100 Safe Days of Summer campaign. Friday and Saturday nights, June 9-10, law enforcement across King County will conduct high-visibility emphasis patrols to help keep drivers safe. For the second year in a row, Bellevue will host the Washington State Patrol Mobile Impaired Driving Unit so officers can process suspected DUI drivers on scene. During last year’s two-night campaign launch, 40 agencies participated, making 28 DUI arrests in just 16 hours.
Summer is typically one of the most dangerous times of the year on the roadways. It is especially dangerous for young adults as more are out and about and are easily distracted.
“We had a record number of DUI arrests in Bellevue in 2022 with 267, a third of those occurring during in summer,” said Sergeant Leo Ramos, who supervises Bellevue’s DUI enforcement and collision investigators. “Our goal with the emphasis patrols is to reach a DUI driver before a collision happens.”
Last year, Washington state reached a 20-year traffic fatality high with 750 fatal collisions; over 50% involved an alcohol or drug-impaired driver. “DUI collisions are 100% preventable,” Ramos added. “All anyone has to do is plan for a safe ride home or hire a ride-share. It is that simple.”
Bellevue police routinely conduct additional high-visibility patrols throughout the year. The efforts support the city’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious-injury collisions on city streets by 2030.