Target Zero’s goal of zero deaths on Washington roadways by 2030 may have hit a bump in the road following the pandemic, but emphasis missions encouraging drivers to follow safe guidelines continue to be successful.
On March 12 in Battle Ground, Battle Ground Police Department (BGPD) officers, with the assistance of a Ridgefield Police officer, made 37 stops during a speed emphasis mission. In the 37 contacts, six drivers were cited for infractions, while 30 received warnings. Of the two arrests made, one was for driving under the influence.
As well, over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, officers across Clark County made 96 contacts. The emphasis was patrolled by BGPD, the Vancouver Police Department and Washington State Patrol. Over the weekend, officers made 16 arrests, with 11 for DUI. As well, officers handed out 40 infractions and 60 warnings.
In recent years, varying laws and a lack of enforcement on roadways has provided the recipe for driving fatalities to hit a 30-plus year high in Washington State — the opposite from Target Zero’s goal.
“I’ll tell you that since COVID … we’re at a 30-plus year high for roadway fatalities for Washington state, and there’s a lot of reasons I’m sure for that, but we’re trying to get focused and hopefully encourage drivers and any roadway users to follow safe guidelines,” said Jesamie Peters, Target Zero Manager for region 6: Clark and Skamania counties. “So, we’ll be pushing out different campaigns and community engagement pieces so that we can get the public involved in taking some ownership over that process and hopefully trending in the other direction here soon.”
When it comes to warnings versus infractions, Peters said that is up to an officer’s discretion and how they enforce the laws.
“Recently for the speed patrol, obviously it was very heavily weighted on community engagement education, so that’s up to the individual officers,” Peters said.
Coming up in April, a distracted driving emphasis will take place across Clark County on varying days, Peters added.
Peters said she feels like it’s an opportunity for people to consider their driving behaviors in light of the highest level of roadway fatalities in over 30 years. She believes people should ask themselves what is an appropriate number of deaths.
“And you think about it, and then if you redirect that question and then you ask how many from your family? Is it a realistic or appropriate number? And I think most everyone’s going to say zero,” Peters said. “So, it’s important. Our goal is for everyone to make it home safely, and we want to encourage everybody to model, discuss and advocate for traffic safety in their daily lives.”
To learn more about Target Zero, visit targetzero.com.
