Between August 19 and September 5, Washington’s state and local law enforcement agencies plan to put more officers on patrol, both in vehicles and at sobriety checkpoints. Their purpose? To prevent drunk driving and to stop those who decide to operate a vehicle despite being impaired by alcohol or drugs.
The increased patrols are being put on the roads in response to the yearly increase in drunk driving-related accidents over summer holidays, including Labor Day. During these times, motorists and their passengers are more likely to get in a crash caused by a drunk driver, because there are more people—including more people who choose to drive while intoxicated—on Washington roads. The accidents drunk drivers can cause may cause serious injury or even death. Nearly 11,000 people die in drunk driving accidents nationwide each year, and thousands more suffer permanent injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In order to encourage drivers to make smart and sober choices this Labor Day holiday, state, local, and college police departments in Washington are banding together to increase patrols that are on the lookout for drunk drivers. They are also increasing media messages, especially ones that remind motorists about Hailey’s Law. The new law, which went into effect about six months ago, requires a vehicle driven by a person arrested for drunk driving to be impounded for at least 12 hours. Only a registered owner of the vehicle who was not in it when the arrest was made can get the vehicle back.
Injuries and deaths caused in car accidents can change lives instantly. If you have been injured in an accident that involved a drunk driver, the experienced drunk driving accident victim attorneys in Seattle at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. can help. For a free consultation, call our law offices today at 888-228-3860.
