Q: If the legal limit for getting a DUI is .08, how can someone get a DUI if they blow less than .08? Wouldn’t they not be legally drunk?
Continue reading “The Difference Between Drunk and Impaired”
The Difference Between Drunk and Impaired
The Cost of Dangerous Driving in Whatcom County
Q: It seems like there have been a lot more serious crashes than normal lately. Is my perception accurate or have crashes just been making the news more often?
A: Unfortunately, your perception is disturbingly accurate. Over the past ten years, we’ve averaged about 15 lives lost due to traffic crashes. In 2015 and 2016, 11 and 12 people died in crashes, respectively. So far in 2017, 20 people have been killed in traffic crashes in Whatcom County. That’s approaching our worst record in over a decade, 21 deaths, which occurred in 2008. And there are still two more months left in the year. These aren’t just numbers. Each data point is a tragedy for the family and friends of the person who died. Continue reading “The Cost of Dangerous Driving in Whatcom County”
Getting High, Getting a DUI, Getting Help
Q: Now that we’ve had a few years of legalized marijuana, do we know what impact that has had on impaired driving?
A: Before I answer that, I’ll point out that understanding traffic data is complex and we can’t always draw accurate conclusions from one set of data. But let’s look at one set of data anyway, because it’s pretty compelling. This chart covers traffic fatalities involving marijuana impaired drivers from 2011 to 2016. That gives us three years prior to legalization and three years since legalization. Continue reading “Getting High, Getting a DUI, Getting Help”
Disturbing Trends in Impaired Driving
When it comes to impaired driving, how are we doing? Since the 1970’s, the message has consistently been, “If you drink, don’t drive,” and “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” The laws have become stricter, the penalties have become steeper. But has it worked?
A few years ago I could have confidently answered yes, or at least had an optimistic outlook. We were on track, with fewer fatalities from impaired driving every year. But then the situation changed. What happened? The answer is pretty simple: Continue reading “Disturbing Trends in Impaired Driving”
Bear Has a Not Good Night
This is a story of a bear that makes a not good decision, and ends up having a very not good night. This August, Washington law enforcement officers will join the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign aimed at encouraging everyone to get a safe ride, especially if alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medicine, or other drug use might be causing any impairment. Continue reading “Bear Has a Not Good Night”
Impaired Driving: Alcohol vs. Drugs
Recently I was asked if the legalization of marijuana was having an impact on impaired driving. I knew anecdotally, from conversations I’ve had with the law enforcement community, that officers were encountering more drivers impaired by marijuana, and I knew that over the last few years we’ve had a trend of less alcohol impaired drivers and more drug impaired drivers, but I hadn’t taken a close look at the data. Continue reading “Impaired Driving: Alcohol vs. Drugs”