Yakima Police and Sheriff's Deputies will join State Patrol Troopers looking for impaired drivers beginning November 26 through January 1.  It's part of the state's Target Zero Campaign to eliminate traffic deaths in the state by the year 2030. According to state officials, nearly half of all traffic fatalities are because of drunk driving and many happen during the holidays. The Target Zero Teams first rolled out in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in July 2010, as a demonstration project with the goal to reduce fatal and serious injury collisions caused by impaired drivers. After completing the original two year project, it’s estimated more than 100 lives were saved because of the teams. In 2012, the Washington Legislature fully funded the Target Zero Teams to continue their work in the King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Starting in July 2013, the Target Zero Teams expanded to the Yakima and Spokane counties as part of a two-year project funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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