Category Archives: DUI

Why Does Crime Increase During the Holidays?

Holiday Drinking: Beware Seasonal Triggers for Overindulging in Alcohol | Rutgers University

When most people think about the holidays, they imagine quality time spent with family and friends. Unfortunately, although it’s the season of giving and goodness, holiday crime statistics show that retail theft and other crimes spike by 30% or more. There are several reasons why holiday crime statistics are higher than any other time of year.

REASONS WHY CRIME INCREASES DURING THE HOLIDAYS

  • Increased consumption of alcohol: Many events surrounding the holidays involve food and drink, and some people take the risk of driving home drunk.
  • Heightened emotions: Some people have a difficult time during the holidays. They may have been cast away by family members or living in a home where domestic violence is present. Self-inflicted wounds, addiction, and assaults are more common in those who become more emotional during the holidays. Strong emotions can cause people to make impulse decisions they may later regret.
  • Increased theft: The business and distractions of hectic stores, and the pressure to give gifts during the holidays can lead some people to resort to theft.

CRIMES COMMITTED DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

Black Friday, Boxing Day, and seasonal sales bring the busiest shopping times of the year. Despite the reduced prices and great deals, some people are tempted to steal from stores and from customers. Organized Retail Theft and shoplifting are crimes which tend to increase this time of year. Cyber fraud and theft also rise during the holidays as more people use online payments to buy gifts. There are several frauds that ask people to click links or give personal banking information to unsolicited emails.

Another crime that increases during the holidays is Domestic Violence. Increased stress, financial troubles and Depression are contributing factors. This, in combination with the increased alcohol consumption and drug abuse, contribute to this spike.

NEW YEAR’S EVE CRIMES

New Year celebrations usually see an increase in crimes such as Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Many people celebrate the entrance of a new year by drinking with friends and family. Some people may think they have control over their actions or over the vehicle when they drive home drunk. However, law enforcement is aware of this. That’s why many officers patrol the streets on holiday emphasis patrols. Keeping the streets safe is one of their primary duties over the holidays. Therefore, the chances of getting caught are even higher than one might think.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with a crime during the holidays. Don’t tarnish Christmas or New Year’s Eve with a criminal conviction. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

WA State Patrol Kicks Off “Home For the Holidays” DUI Enforcement Campaign

Washington State Police: Home for the Holidays Traffic Safety Campaign | Local | bigcountrynewsconnection.com

Accoding to a press release, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) will work together to enforce DUI pullovers and encourage drivers to make good choices.

The “Home for the Holidays” traffic safety campaign continues now through New Years Eve. Historically, the WSP observes an increase in all collision types during this time frame, as well as an increase in impaired drivers on our roadways.

“While we can’t prevent all collisions, buckling up and slowing down, particularly in wet conditions, dramatically improve the chances that drivers and their passengers will survive a crash and avoid serious injury.” ~Shelly Baldwin, WTSC Director.

Encouraging drivers to make good choices behind the wheel is especially important considering the rise in fatality collisions across Washington state over the past several years. According to preliminary WTSC data, there have been nearly as many fatal collisions between through September 2023 (578) as compared to the same timeframe in 2022 (582). Last year was a 32-year high for fatality collisions across Washington state.

Numbers from the WTSC show 776 lives were lost across the state due to traffic related collisions in the months of October, November, and December from 2018 to 2022. Of those tragedies, 40 percent involved impaired drivers, 30 percent involved excessive speed, 16 percent involved distracted drivers, and 29 percent of those killed were pedestrians or pedal cyclists.

“Fatality collisions are preventable tragedies, and we must all do our part in order to help save lives,” said WSP Chief John R. Batiste. “Buckling up, slowing down, and driving sober can help make sure we all make it home to our loved ones for the holidays.”

Drivers are asked to checklist check road conditions before heading out.

  • Buckle up and ensure all occupants are also properly seat belted before driving;
  • Follow posted speed limits and slow down as necessary in adverse weather and around vulnerable road users, including walkers and cyclists;
  • Increase following distance, especially in adverse weather or low light conditions;
  • Always choose to drive sober;
  • Avoid distractions, such as the use of a hand-held cell phone or watching videos while driving.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI, Reckless Driving or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Bellingham Labelled Drunkest City in the State

What's the Deal With: Bellingham's unofficial slogan?

Informative article by journalist Alyse Smith reports that Bellingham is the drunkest city in the State of Washington. This comes according to a recent report by 24/7 Wall Street, a financial news and opinion website.

The report ranked cities by compiling data on percentages of people over 18 who reported heavy or binge drinking in the area, along with a report of county health rankings and the number of alcohol-related driving deaths.

The report found Bellingham to be the drunkest city in the state, with 22.9 percent of adults reporting to drink excessively, compared to 18 percent statewide. The report also found that Whatcom County had the 13th highest percentage of driving deaths involving alcohol in the state.

The report follows Bellingham’s 17th ranking as the 17th city with most breweries per capita in the United States in 2019 by Food & Wine magazine.

In 2021, Bellingham had one brewery for every 6,153 residents, according to the Visit Bellingham Whatcom County website. These breweries include Boundary Bay Brewery, Structures Brewing, Stemma Brewing Company, Kulshan Brewing Company, El Sueñito Brewing Company, Aslan Brewing Co., Twin Sisters Brewing Company, Wander Brewing, Gruff Brewing Co., Stones Throw Brewing Co., Menace Brewing Co., Otherlands Beer and Larrabee Lager Company.

Whatcom County is also home to other breweries, distilleries and cideries, such as Fringe Brewing, Bellingham Cider Company, Chuckanut Bay Distillery, Bellewood Farms distillery and North Fork Brewery.

My opinion? By all means, enjoy the amenities that Bellingham offers. It’s a wonderful city.

And remember to enjoy and entertain responsibly. There is a strong evidence linking alcohol with Domestic Violence. Various factors are linked to chronic alcohol use and violence. They include psychiatric behavioral issues such as  personality disorders, mood disorders, and intermittent explosive disorders. Individuals prone to aggressive behaviors are more likely to commit impulsive violent crimes, especially under the influence of alcohol.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with an alcohol-related crime. These crimes may include DUI, Assault and/or Domestic Violence. In some cases, the actual substantive defense of Voluntary Intoxication may apply. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Traffic-Related Deaths Are on the Rise

These States Have The Most Summer Driving Fatalities

This year is becoming an increasingly deadly year for traffic-related deaths on Washington roads, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) and Washington State Patrol (WSP).

The worsening traffic safety crisis is leading to more deaths at this point in 2023 than the year before, the agencies reported on Aug. 30.

As of July, Washington saw 417 traffic-related fatalities, compared to 413 fatalities in July 2022. According to WTSC, 2022 marked the deadliest year on Washington roads since 1990.

“We have seen more multi-fatality crashes in 2023, which is making this a historically deadly year . . . We are announcing these very preliminary figures because we need everyone’s help right now. Driving sober, driving focused, respecting speed limits, and buckling up are the four best ways to save a life.” ~Shelly Baldwin, Director of WTSC

Officials note the “fatal four” common causes of traffic crashes and deaths as impairment, distraction, speeding and not wearing seat belts. Among the 750 people who died on Washington roads in 2022, approximately 75% of those deaths (565 deaths) involved one or more of the fatal four behaviors, according to WTSC.

While more lives have been lost so far in 2023, WTSC says there have been fewer deadly crashes in total – which means crashes are resulting in more losses of life per crash.

“Saving lives on our highways involves everyone’s participation – and that includes passengers. Driver decisions are an obvious factor in fatal collisions, but passengers have a duty to ensure their own safety by always choosing to buckle up. We need this disheartening trend to turn around, and we cannot do that without everyone’s participation.” ~WSP Chief John R. Batiste

The 90 Dangerous Days of Summer, a campaign educating the public, has found that summer months often are the deadliest stretch of time for drivers in Washington. Throughout Labor Day Weekend, state and local law enforcement officials will increase their presence on the roadways as a safety reminder.

“The power to save lives is in the hands of every driver on our roads,” Baldwin said. “Going into Labor Day and the final four months of 2023, we still have time to change this trend. Please get a sober ride if you have used drugs or alcohol. Higher speeds endanger the lives of everyone, so please respect the speed limit. If we practice these simple safety behaviors each day, we can save hundreds of lives so that they will be here to enjoy the holidays with their family and friends.”

WSP also urges bicyclists to always wear helmets and protective gear while all motorists should always keep a cautionary eye out for pedestrians, bicyclists and other roadway users.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI, Reckless Driving or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Labor Day DUI Patrols In Effect

420 Facelift" planned for WSP Mobile Impaired Driving Unit | Regional |  nbcrightnow.com

The Washington State Patrol reports that with Labor Day Weekend, Troopers will be out patrolling both day and night looking for impaired drivers. According to a survey by the Vacationer, more than 57 percent of Americans will be traveling this weekend. King 5 reports that as of yesterday, the WSP has responded to 70 crashes and 16 calls reporting aggressive driving.

WSP and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission recently reported that 2023 is shaping up to be a “historically deadly” year on Washington roadways.

Over Labor Day weekend in 2022, state troopers responded to a number of dangerous incidents in King County. They included 21 DUI arrests, 448 speeding incidents and 118 collisions, with two fatal collisions. The agency also responded to 232 reports of aggressive driving and 60 incidents of distracted driving.

Officials note the “fatal four” common causes of traffic crashes and deaths as impairment, distraction, speeding and not wearing seat belts. Approximately 75% of last year’s deaths involved one of more of the fatal four behaviors.

WSP’S MOBILE IMPAIRED DRIVING UNIT

The Mobile Impaired Driving Unit (MIDU) will be deployed to process suspected DUI offenders and enable patrols to spend as much time as possible on the roadways. The MIDU is a self-contained 36-foot motorhome that has been turned into a mobile DUI processing center and incident command post. When requested, the MIDU travels across the state in support of law enforcement efforts during DUI emphasis patrols or to emergency incidents such as wild land fires or other natural disasters. It’s a full service police station on wheels.

My opinion? Drive with patience and courtesy and expect more traffic throughout the weekend. And please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI, Reckless Driving or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Can You Drink Alcohol in the Car as a Passenger?

Is It Legal To Drink In A Car If Someone Else Is Driving? You Can In These Lucky States - BroBible

Excellent article in the Tri-City Herald addresses the law regarding vehicle passengers with alcohol. In other words, what if you’re a passenger found drinking alcohol in a car, but your driver has not had a drop? How can you expect police to react? Here’s what the law says.

WASHINGTON OPEN CONTAINER LAWS

Under RCW 46.61.519, it is a traffic infraction to drink alcohol in a vehicle on the highway. Even if you aren’t actively drinking, it’s still illegal. You cannot have an open container with an alcoholic beverage in a vehicle on Washington highways.

What counts as an open container? The state law describes it as “a bottle, can, or other receptacle containing an alcoholic beverage if the container has been opened or a seal broken or the contents partially removed.”

Passengers with an open container will be responsible for this infraction, not the driver. But it is a primary violation, meaning you can get pulled over for open containers. Police will pull over cars exhibiting concerning behaviors.

Concerning behaviors include speed, following too closely, impaired and distracted driving. But other infractions, like passengers drinking or smoking in the car, are considered concerning as well.

Additionally, you cannot keep an open container in the car unless it is kept somewhere not normally occupied by passengers, like the trunk. This means opened drinks cannot be kept in the glove or utility compartment “for later.” This infraction falls on the registered owner of the car, or the driver if the registered owner is not present.

It is an additional infraction to try and disguise an alcoholic beverage in order to get around this state code. These traffic infractions come with a fine of $136.

If minors are involved in any of the aforementioned infractions, there is potential for an additional charge for a Minor in Possession of Alcohol. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to Thorson.

OPEN CONTAINER LAW EXCEPTIONS

There are some exceptions to this, however. The code does not apply for open containers:

  • In public services commercially chartered for group use, like a party bus
  • In the living quarters of motors homes or campers
  • With passengers in a licensed for-hire vehicle (not rideshares), like a limousine
  • When a privately-owned vehicle is driven by a licensed employee under normal work conditions, like a cart girl

As you can see, there aren’t very many exceptions to the laws about open containers. As we’ve seen, the most common one is the outside the passenger area exception. If the open container is in a part of the car that is inaccessible to passengers, it won’t get you in trouble. Generally, this means the trunk.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI, Reckless Driving or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Alcohol vs. Cannabis vs. Tobacco: What’s the Worst?

Weed Seems to Protect Your Liver From the Effects of Hard Drinking

Intriguing article in The Hill by Journalist Alix Martichoux discusses medical advice on what substances harm health the worst: alcohol, tobacco or marijuana?

Although the doctors disagreed on what substance was most harmful, all three doctors agreed that marijuana was the least harmful.

Dr. Anand Akhil, a behavioral health doctor with Cleveland Clinic, said that when it comes to generalizing for the average person, alcohol was the worst, followed by tobacco.

“Alcohol use is linked to over 200 health conditions and diseases, damaging every organ system in the body . . . Depression, anxiety, dementia, cancers, heart and liver disease, and bone disease can all result from alcohol consumption. Similarly, tobacco use is largely connected to serious cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular diseases.” ~Dr. Anand Akhil

Dr. Kevin Most, chief medical officer at Northwestern Central DuPage Hospital, agreed in a recent interview with WGN Radio.

“I would certainly rank alcohol No. 1.  . . . I’m going to say that alcohol in moderation is OK, but too much alcohol is going to have impact on many illnesses.” ~Dr. Kevin Most

The harms of consuming tobacco, Dr. Most said, could be largely reversed when people stop smoking earlier in life. “If people understand the the risk of lung cancer, based on how many years you’ve been smoking and how much you’ve been smoking, if you stop that smoking at an early age … your lungs can reinvigorate and get back almost to normal.”

But Glickman disagreed, and ranked tobacco as worst due to the fact it has no proven health benefits.

“Tobacco I would argue is the worse substance of the three, given it has no conceivable benefit even in light amounts, and considerable risks. Tobacco has been linked to increases in heart disease, cancers, and premature mortality, among others . . . Alcohol on the other hand, could have benefits at light or moderate amounts, but then risks with large amounts.” ~Dr. Glickman

He said red wine in particular contains antioxidants, and pointed to studies showing up to one glass per day can reduce inflammation in blood vessels.

But all three doctors agreed on which ranked least harmful to the average person’s health.

“I would put marijuana third, mainly because we know that there’s a lot of medicinal uses for marijuana and used in the right format and in the controlled environment is fine,” Most said. He said chemotherapy patients often credit cannabis as the only thing keeping their appetite up, allowing them to get nutrition they need.

Glickman said evaluating cannabis’ healthfulness and harmfulness is more complicated than the other two.

“The available evidence suggests that cannabis could be of benefit when medically supervised as part of a treatment plan for certain conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, trauma, insomnia, and muscular disorders, among others,” he said. But Glickman went on to say cannabis use could make certain mental health issues worse, as well as impair memory and concentration.

He said the data suggests there is an extra risk to young adults whose brains aren’t fully developed.

Plus, Akhil noted, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services have guidelines on how much alcohol adults can consume in moderation (up to two drinks a day for men, one drink for women), there are no such guidelines for safe cannabis or tobacco use.

“I think negative health consequences could be possible for all of the three substances, even in moderate amounts, depending on the person and situation,” Glickman said. “There is no foolproof vice.”

All three experts emphasized each person is unique, and you should always talk to your doctor about your specific situation.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI or any other crime involving drugs and alcohol. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Why Seahawks’ Geno Smith Won’t Be Charged For DUI Or Reckless Driving

Geno Smith to lead Seahawks in season opener on MNF

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith will not be charged in connection with his 2022 arrest on suspicion of DUI. Prosecutors also declined to charge Smith with Reckless Driving, citing insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty of either offense.

Smith, 32, was arrested early on the morning of Jan. 10, 2022, hours after the Seahawks returned to Seattle from their 2021 season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. According to an arrest report, he was initially stopped for going 96 mph in a 60 mph zone and driving erratically across several lanes of traffic.

The police report also stated Smith was “agitated” during his encounter with law enforcement and had been driving 96 mph in a 60 mph zone. Smith’s blood-alcohol concentration was found to be .038, less than half of the .08 legal limit in Washington State. His THC concentration was 2.6, also well below the legal limit of 5.

The state trooper who pulled Smith over detected an odor of intoxicants and observed that he had bloodshot, watery eyes, according to the arrest report. A judge issued a search warrant for a blood draw after Smith declined to take a preliminary breath test. He was taken to a hospital where he became agitated before the blood draw, even with the Seahawks’ director of team security present to try to calm Smith down, according to the report. Restraints were used to complete the process, troopers wrote.

“In considering the filing of charges, prosecutors must consider any reasonably foreseeable defense to be raised . . . From the investigation material, prosecutors do not have evidence to rebut likely explanations for his bad driving. While we can show that Mr. Smith consumed alcohol and marijuana and that in general those two substances have a compounding effect, we do not have any evidence to show exactly what effect they had on Mr. Smith, and a reasonable doubt exists as to whether his ability to drive was affected by alcohol or marijuana.” ~King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

The prosecuting attorney’s office wrote that despite evidence that Smith was driving fast and briefly traveled out of his lane, they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was disregarding the safety of people or property on the road.

Due to a backlog with blood tests in the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, Smith’s results were not provided to King County prosecutors until this past April. The prosecutor’s office noted in its release that Smith’s samples were being stored at the crime lab in a refrigerator that failed, and that while “there is no reasonable doubt to the accuracy of the results, there would likely be litigation related to the handling of his blood samples.”

At the time of his arrest, Smith had just completed his third season as Russell Wilson‘s backup with the Seahawks. In a tweet after the arrest, Smith urged the public to withhold judgment. He later told reporters that he didn’t think anything would come of the matter.

My opinion? Many evidentiary issues were favorable on behalf of Mr. Smith. First, his blood-alcohol and THC levels were below the legal limit to charge him with DUI. Mathematically speaking, the State could not prove DUI. This evidentiary issue was exacerbated by the WSP’s delays in processing the blood test and, ultimately, their tainting/destruction of Mr. Smith’s blood evidence.

But why couldn’t the Prosecutor’s Office charge Reckless Driving? Under the WPIC Jury Instructions, a person commits the crime of reckless driving when he or she drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property or races a motor vehicle upon a public highway. Here, the Prosecutor’s office decided there was no evidence of “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.”

There’s question, however, as to why Mr. Smith’s excessive speed of 90+ mph down a public highway was not sufficient evidence of Reckless Driving. Under RCW 46.61.530, “Any person or persons who wilfully compare or contest relative speeds by operation of one or more motor vehicles shall be guilty of racing, which shall constitute reckless driving under RCW 46.61.500. 

Anyway, great outcome for Geno Smith. His defense attorney did well.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Alcohol-Related Deaths Increased Amid a Spike in Pandemic Drinking

U.S. Alcohol Consumption Soars During COVID-19 Pandemic | Time

Excellent Washington Post article by and reported on federal data showing U.S. consumption of alcohol accelerated during the COVID-19 Pandemic as Americans grappled with stress and isolation.

Mississippi saw a 159 percent increase in alcohol-related deaths, the nation’s biggest leap, along with a 10 percent rise in apparent consumption. In Delaware, consumption increased the most, by 25 percent, while alcohol-related deaths rose 73 percent.

George F. Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), said the traumas of the pandemic brought the increase. The fear of covid-19 infection, job losses, social isolation added to everyday stresses that were already spurring people to drink.

Experts point to a variety of factors for the increase, among them stagnant alcohol taxes that make drinking cheap relative to inflation, increased marketing to women and social despairs that have led to crises of mental health and addiction in the United States.

The NIAAA Report.

According to NIAAA data, apparent consumption of alcohol, measured as gallons of ethanol sold per capita, increased by 6.6 percent between 2018 and 2021 across the United States.  Overall consumption reached an average of about 2.8 gallons per person annually — roughly 597 drinks per year — for Americans over 21.

That’s the highest consumption level since 1988.

The drinking patterns reported by the NIAAA varied significantly by state. In nine states — including Florida, Tennessee and New Jersey — alcohol consumption increased by at least 10 percent.

The NIAAA data suggests that increased alcohol consumption may be more pronounced than previously believed. The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults of drinking age reported drinking the same or less than they did before the pandemic. Researchers say this type of survey data can mask risky behavior or changes in drinking habits because respondents often underreport their alcohol use.

Alcohol-related Deaths Increased in Every State.

As alcohol use was surging, so were alcohol-related deaths. Between 2018 and 2021, deaths caused by alcohol increased in every state, according to CDC mortality data. Some states that had some of the biggest increases in consumption also had some of the largest spikes in alcohol-related death rates. In Mississippi, the rate of deaths caused by alcohol more than doubled in a four-year span, rising from 7 deaths per 100,000 residents to about 18 deaths per 100,000 in 2021.

“The costs of alcohol abuse and dependence are phenomenal,” said Jefferson Parker, a professor of psychiatry who co-directs a new addiction treatment program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, which last fall received a $6 million federal grant to help treat alcohol use disorder, along with opioid addiction.

New Mexico had more than 51 deaths per 100,000 residents, the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in the country, and an increase of almost 50 percent from its rate in 2018. Death rates related to alcohol also nearly doubled in Montana, South Dakota and Delaware during that time.

Who Was Drinking?

Younger drinkers saw the biggest increase in the rate of alcohol-related deaths, which spiked by nearly 80 percent among 25-to-44-year-olds, a Washington Post analysis of CDC data found. For every 100,000 people within that age range, 12 people died of alcohol-related issues in 2021, the analysis found.

Older age groups didn’t see rises that dramatic but already had high rates. People between the ages of 55 and 64 had the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths, at 42 per 100,000. Those findings add to similarly grim statistics. A CDC study published last fall estimated that between 2015 and 2019, excessive alcohol use was to blame for 1 in 8 deaths of Americans between the ages of 20 and 64.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with DUI or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.

Speed Cameras In Demand As Fatal Crashes Rise in WA State

Here's the really annoying thing about speed cameras: They work | CBC News

Informative article in the Olympian by journalist Martin Bilbao describes Governor Inslee’s efforts to acquire more traffic cameras in WA as traffic fatalities rose. The data showed a concerning lack of progress for Target Zero, a state safety plan that aims to eliminate fatal and serious injury collisions by 2030.

Traffic fatalities in Washington state increased about 39% from 538 in 2019 to 750 in 2022, according to data presented by Shelly Baldwin, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. However, she cautioned that 2022 data was preliminary.

“We have not seen such a rapid increase since back in the ‘70s . . . We want to keep in mind that these are not just numbers. These are families and friends and co-workers whose lives have been lost and left the people around them grieving.” ~Shelly Baldwin, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission

The data show eight counties account for about 60% of all fatalities. The top three are in the state’s population center — King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Thurston County ranks seventh in fatalities, but is sixth in population. The state’s traffic fatality rate per 100 vehicle miles traveled reached 1.16 in 2021 compared to 1.37 at the national level, Baldwin shared. She said impaired driving, followed by speeding and distracted driving, were key risk factors in traffic fatalities.

Earlier this year, the state authorized the use of speed cameras in highway work zones with the passage of Senate Bill 5272. However, Inslee’s proposal would go further:

“The fact, we’re not doing that, frankly, is a little frustrating right now . . . I’m glad we’ve taken the first step in construction zones, but we can’t allow this carnage to continue when we have a technology that works.” ~Governor Jay Inslee

Inslee said he would direct the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to work with his staff to develop a plan for increasing the use of speed cameras. Additionally, Inslee said he supports recruiting more law enforcement personnel to enforce traffic laws.

Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with Reckless Driving or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.



Alexander F. Ransom

Attorney at Law
Criminal Defense Lawyer

119 North Commercial St.
Suite #1420
Bellingham, WA 98225

117 North 1st Street
Suite #27
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Phone: (360) 746-2642
Fax: (360) 746-2949

Consultation Request

Footer Consultation Request

Copyright 2024 Law Offices of Alex Ransom, PLLC   |   Sitemap   |   Website Design by Peter James Web Design Studio
error: Content is protected !!