Welcome to Skagit County

December 17, 2003

LAW ENFORCEMENT TARGETS DANGEROUS DRIVERS

This Friday night, law enforcement officers in Skagit County will participate in the 13th annual "Night of 1,000 Stars" traffic safety emphasis patrol. This activity will be coordinated with the continuing "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" DUI emphasis patrols that have been going on throughout Skagit County and the state of Washington since late November. The "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" emphasis will also be staged again on Saturday Night.

In addition to removing drinking drivers from our roads, officers will also be on the lookout for people who are speeding, driving aggressively or committing other traffic violations. The focus of these emphasis efforts is to increase the safety of the general motoring public by removing dangerous drivers from our roadways.

Last year's "Night of 1,000 Stars" resulted in 339 drivers in this state being cited for Driving Under the Influence. Seven of those citations were issued in Skagit County.

People who are drinking over the holidays are urged to select a designated driver or make other arrangements to avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking.

The other problem facing drivers during this time of the year is the cold weather that can so easily create hazardous conditions on our roadways. All drivers are urged to exercise extreme caution when driving in inclement weather.

Officers from the Washington State Patrol, Skagit County Sheriff's Office and local Police Departments will be participating in this weekend's emphasis activities.