EVERETT — Washington State Patrol officers will undertake emphasis patrols along I-5 between south Everett and Arlington through the end of July, the agency announced Monday.
Three other sections of interstates throughout Washington — near Tacoma, Spokane and Federal Way — will also see increased enforcement. The emphasis patrols began Monday and will end July 31.
The agency chose those areas based on crash data and information from telematics systems, which combine data from on-board vehicle sensors and GPS information to monitor driver behavior.
Emphasis patrols increase police presence along certain roadways or at specific times in an attempt to curb dangerous driver behavior.
The state agency will partner with a data company and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to study the effectiveness of the patrols and how they impact surrounding roadways or auxiliary routes, a press release read. That data will help inform the state agency’s new Target Zero Troopers, who will attempt to curb risky driver behavior through “strategically deployed enforcement patrols,” the agency wrote.
“Troopers now have a data tool that will inform which areas of the state roadway network exhibit the most frequent high-risk driving behaviors and the days and times when these behaviors are most prevalent,” wrote Staci Hoff, the research director at the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, in the press release. “Knowing exactly where to go and when will prevent these behaviors from turning to tragedy.”
Traffic deaths in Snohomish County rose from 2023 to 2024, with the highest increase coming from deaths on state routes, which include interstates like I-5.
Washington developed its first Target Zero plan in 2000. It has a goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Recommendations from the plan include improving roadway design to lower speeds, reducing the legal limit for driving under the influence of alcohol, reducing speed limits, increasing driver education and implementing more infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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