Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign returns

Between August 16 and September 2 extra officers throughout Snohomish County will be looking for drivers under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs during the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

DUI is the leading cause of death on Washington roadways, accountable for nearly half of the 439 fatalities on our roads during 2012.

Even though Washington legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older, it is still illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. Studies have found that marijuana-positive drivers are twice as likely to crash as other drivers.

Marijuana use can slow reaction time, decrease the ability of a driver to maintain lane position and diminish the ability to pay attention to the tasks of driving. It also interferes with a driver's ability to perform divided-attention tasks, such as steering and maintaining vehicle speed at the same time.

Officers can tell when a driver is experiencing other effects of marijuana influence such as relaxed inhibitions, altered perception of time and distance, disorientation, incomplete thought processes and increased pulse.

Remember, the safest thing is not to drive at all after drinking or using marijuana or other drugs.

If you see a DUI, please call 911.
Last year in Snohomish County, during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, officers on routine and extra patrols arrested 176 people for DUI. For all of 2012, in Snohomish County, 3,578 people were charged with DUI.
The Snohomish County DUI & Target Zero Traffic Safety Task Force organizes and supports this enforcement effort.
These and all extra patrols are part of Target Zero'striving to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. For more information, visit www.targetzero.com. Additional information on the Washington Traffic Safety Commission can be found on the website, www.wtsc.wa.gov.