Law enforcement agencies across Washington will conduct high-visibility DUI patrols beginning this week and continuing through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.
The patrols will focus on drivers impaired by alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) announced in a news release.
The WTSC is reminding everyone celebrating the final weeks of summer to arrange a sober ride before drinking or using any impairing substance.
“Too many people still believe that impairment starts with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent,” Mark McKechnie, WTSC policy and communications director, said in the release. “Impairment begins with the first drink and increases with each additional drink. The safest choice is to make a plan before drinking and leave the keys behind.”
At 0.05 percent BAC, a driver may experience slower reaction times, reduced coordination, difficulty tracking moving objects, trouble steering or responding to sudden changes, and poor judgment. Driving ability can decline by 25% to 50% at 0.05 BAC, and a driver’s crash risk is more than twice that of a sober driver.
Before going out, residents are advised to designate a driver who will remain completely sober, schedule a taxi or rideshare, use public transportation, or arrange to stay overnight. Hosts should provide alcohol-free options and help every guest secure a sober ride home.
Residents who see a suspected impaired driver should call 911 when it is safe to do so and provide the vehicle’s location, direction of travel, description and license plate number, if possible. Drivers should not attempt to follow or stop the vehicle.
“On average, Washington has seen fifteen traffic deaths around Labor Day each year,” McKechnie said. “The goal of these campaigns is not to make arrests. They are to encourage choices that save lives. Plan ahead, speak up and help everyone get home safely this Labor Day.”
For more information, residents can find preliminary 2025 data, as well as traffic fatality data for Washington during the last decade (2016-2025), at https://wtsc.wa.gov/dashboards/.
