Extra law enforcement will be on the roads looking for impaired drivers in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties on Super Bowl Sunday. The evening of the Super Bowl game has historically been a dangerous time on Washington roads due to the large number of people driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs.
“Make the right call and choose a safe ride home this weekend,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County. “Before your party begins, designate a sober driver, ride the bus or take a cab.”
Half of all traffic deaths in Washington state on the Super Bowl evening have involved an impaired driver. Since 2009, 191 people have been arrested for DUI on Super Bowl Sunday in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
“We want to get the word out so people can make safe choices this Sunday,” said John Cheesman, chief of the Fircrest Police Department and chairman of the Tacoma Pierce County DUI & Traffic Safety Task Force. “Watching the Super Bowl and all the commercials is a lot of fun, but when the game is over, fans who have been drinking need to make sure they don’t get behind the wheel.”
Target Zero Teams work to prevent and arrest impaired drivers through full-time state troopers and part-time officers from local agencies.
Participating agencies include Target Zero Team officers and troopers from the Arlington, Auburn, Bellevue, Brier, Bothell, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Granite Falls, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Monroe, Mukilteo, Newcastle, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, Snoqualmie, Tacoma, University Place, and the Tulalip Tribal Police Departments, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Liquor Control Board and the Washington State Patrol.
Extra patrols are coordinated by Target Zero managers in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, with support from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. This work is part of an ongoing partnership with law enforcement, public health and community partners to reach the Washington State Target Zero goal of eliminating all fatal and serious injury crashes by 2030.
