It’s a war against stupidity
Published 2:22 pm Thursday, December 30, 2010
In a continuing New Year’s Eve tradition, countless inebriated numbskulls (a redundancy, we admit) will climb behind the wheel tonight, risking injury and death to themselves and everybody else on the road.
Police will stage emphasis patrols, moving a fair number of drunks from the highway to a jail cell. That will launch a long, costly ordeal for the violators, who will get no sympathy and plenty of grief. Better them than the family of an innocent victim.
While people continue to drive under the influence of alcohol despite the well-known dangers and penalties, police are trying to become more effective adversaries. Trooper Keith Leary says the Washington State Patrol continues to sharpen its tactics, targeting specific problem areas with more patrols. The WSP made almost 2,000 DUI arrests in Snohomish County in 2009, Leary said, and is on track to meet that number this year.
Extra patrols will be out tonight. Let this be one final piece of advice: If you’re going to drink tonight, make arrangements in advance to avoid driving. You may still wake up with a hangover, but at least it’ll be in the bed of your choice.
Leary makes an important point about drunk driving: It’s a menace, but it’s not the only one responsible for serious collisions. Speeding is the No. 1 perpetrator of highway mayhem. Although there’s room for improvement, police appear to be making some headway there.
Fatalities are down. The State Patrol district that includes Snohomish, Island, Skagit and Whatcom counties saw 80 traffic deaths in 2009, but only 59 as 2010 draws to a close. That’s too big a difference to be written off as luck. Education and coordinated enforcement efforts share some of the credit.
One policy change could help even more. According to preliminary data from 2009 and 2010 cited by Leary, about a third of drivers pulled over for speeding by the State Patrol in Snohomish County are let off with a warning. We’re not against troopers have some discretion in whether to issue citations, but that seems like too many slaps on the wrist for such a serious problem.
We urge State Patrol Chief John Batiste to consider a policy of less discretion and more tickets. Fines are designed to modify behavior, but they can’t when they’re not levied.
In fact, an overabundance of warnings could have the perverse effect of encouraging folks to drive 5 or 10 mph over the limit, if they’re convinced they won’t pay a penalty even if they’re stopped.
Of course, true responsibility for safe driving lies with drivers. The goal is to get from one place to another in one piece, not to win a race. A safe, sober approach to driving can truly be a life-saver.
