Four law enforcement agencies in Clallam County will be conducting special impaired driving emphasis patrols during the weekend of March 15-17 as part of a statewide effort to reduce deaths and crashes caused by impaired drivers. Participating agencies include: Washington State Patrol, Port Angeles Police Department, Sequim Police Department, and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department. The special patrols are funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission as part of the Target Zero Program, which aims to eliminate all traffic deaths in our state by the year 2030.
Law enforcement will be looking for signs of unsafe driving, including speeding, erratic lane travel, failure to obey traffic lights and signs, following too closely, using a cell phone while driving, and not wearing a seat belt. A conviction for Driving Under the Influence can result in a jail sentence, fines up to $5,000, suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, court costs, attorney fees, attendance at the DUI Victims Panel and Traffic School, increase in insurance rates, towing/impound fees, and other costs. Clallam County has seen a significant decrease in traffic deaths over the past several years. There has been just one death so far this year and just two during 2012. All three of those deaths could have been avoided if the drivers had been following traffic laws. People are reminded to drive sober, obey the speed limit, drive defensively and buckle up.