This is one speed trap the cops want drivers to know about.
Beginning today through May 1, police from every Snohomish County law enforcement agency will add patrols to watch for speeders.
“We’re telling (drivers) what days, what times, which agencies,” said Lowell Porter, the director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “Our measure of success is not tickets written.”
They want to save lives.
A new statewide traffic safety initiative was unveiled Thursday called “Slow Down or Pay Up.” It’s a campaign aimed at getting drivers to ease up on the gas to prevent death and injury on the roads, Porter said.
Nearly 4 in every 10 traffic fatalities around the state and in Snohomish County are blamed on excessive speed, according to state statistics.
From 2004 through 2008, 94 people died in the county in speeding-related crashes, according to state statistics. Statewide 213 people died during the same time period. The accident death rate in Snohomish County was proportionate with its population.
Officials hope their new campaign, modelled after “Click It or Ticket,” the effort that encouraged people to use seat belts, will bring about a change in drivers’ behavior.
Many drivers don’t seem to realize the faster they drive, the more likely they are to be killed or seriously injured, he said.
Expect to see television advertisements delivering the “slow down” safety message and anticipate a small army of police patrolling the roads.
“Law enforcement officers will be targeting specific roadways that have shown to have a problem with speed-related crashes,” said Tracy McMillan, Snohomish County DUI &Target Zero Traffic Safety Task Force Manager. “We hope this effort will encourage drivers to pay attention, obey posted speed limits and drive safe. Too many people are being injured or killed in these types of preventable crashes.”
The patrol shifts are scheduled on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and weekends from noon to 8 p.m. Overtime costs will be paid by the state, Porter said.
Statistics show that in Snohomish County, more than half of the speeding-related fatal crashes involved only one car. Young men were victims more than anyone else and the crashes happened most frequently on Friday and during the weekends.
Drunken driving continues to be the top cause of traffic deaths in the state.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
Deaths by year
Snohomish County traffic deaths due to speeding
2004 — 16
2005 — 17
2006 — 25
2007 — 19
2008 — 17
Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Washington Traffic Safety Commission
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