Bellingham sees highest rate of DUI arrests in 5 years
It's the city's highest amount of DUI arrests in at least five years.
'If you choose to get in your car and drive impaired. That's a decision that you've made. Whether you're capable of getting in the car at that time or not. You didn't do something ahead of time when you were sober and could make that decision to change that,' says Lt. Claudia Murphy with Bellingham Police.
In one recent arrest, officers report an impaired driver doing burnouts, hitting a parked car, and then crashing into a barrier, all without two front wheels.
During a March 1 arrest, an impaired taxi driver, with a passenger into car, went off the road and became stuck on train tracks. The driver and passenger were able to evacuate before the taxi was hit by a train.
As for what's driving the dangerous trend, that's still unclear according to Lt. Murphy. She tells KIRO 7 that the department has more officers and are directing more resources to patrols than they've been able to in years prior.
Addiction could also be driving the number of impaired drivers. The department has seen a rise in daytime arrests. Monday is the day that officers have made the highest number of arrests, despite some assumptions that impairment might be higher on weekends.
'Part of it is when people are addicted to drug or alcohol, there is no particular day. They need the drug or alcohol all the time,' says Lt. Murphy.
The Tacoma Police Department is also seeing a spike in impairment arrests. The department has made 141 DUI arrests this year, a 64% jump from the same time period last year.
'I've been doing this for 32 years, and we have been arresting people for drunk driving for 32 years, and before that, obviously, right? And we will continue to arrest people for drunk driving,' says Lt. Murphy. 'What has to happen is there has to be a societal shift.'
Lt. Murphy tells KIRO 7, additional education and prevention services for youth could help create that necessary shift. She also believes in lowering the legal limit for driving from .08 to .05.
A bill to change Washington's legal limit to .05 (SB 5067) was proposed in the state legislature this year. It stalled in committee after failing to pass the last two sessions.
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