Emphasis Patrols Set to Nab High Drivers As Well

Hundreds of people die in Driving Under the Influence (DUI) related crashes in Washington State every year. It's the reason why the State Traffic Safety Commission is conducting it's annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign Today through September 2.

The commission's Shelly Baldwin tells KIT News, “Summer ends up being our highest number of fatal DUI related crash time. We call it the 100 deadliest days of Summer between Memorial and Labor Day.”

Baldwin says DUI drivers were responsible for nearly half of the 439 deadly crashes in the state in 2012.

During the emphasis patrol, city, county and state patrol authorities are spending extra hours on the road looking for both drunk and drugged drivers.

This year, officers have also been trained on how to spot drivers who use marijuana and get behind the wheel.