To keep the scares and horrors off the streets this Halloween weekend, extra law enforcement will be out looking for impaired and dangerous drivers across King County and the greater Puget Sound area.

The traffic safety emphasis patrol, dubbed “Surround the Sound,” is one part of an ongoing partnership with law enforcement, public health and community partners to reach the Washington State Target Zero goal of eliminating all fatal and serious injury crashes by 2030.

Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to the high number of impaired drivers on the roads. In 2008, 58 percent of all national highway fatalities on Halloween night involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher.

“Traffic crashes kill or seriously injure hundreds of people in King County each year, and driving impaired is a leading cause of these crashes,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Treat everyone to a fun and safe Halloween by driving sober or planning a safe ride home.”

King County saw a record low of 76 deaths from traffic crashes in 2009, likely due to a number of factors, including strong enforcement of driving under the influence (DUI) laws. However, even with recent successes, traffic safety remains a serious concern. From 2004 to 2008, 568 people died in traffic crashes in King County, and another 98,000 were injured.

Patrols will start Thursday night with a Happy Hour DUI emphasis patrol in Bellevue between the hours of 5 and 9 p.m., lead by the Bellevue Police Department and officers from the King County Target Zero Taskforce. “In Bellevue and across King County, law enforcement officers will be looking for dangerous drivers and enforcing our DUI, speeding, seatbelt, and cell phone and texting laws,” said Lieutenant Marcia Harnden, Bellevue Police Department.

Participating agencies in King County include Seattle, Snoqualmie, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Federal Way and Auburn Police Departments, and the Washington State Patrol. In addition, the Washington State Patrol’s Mobile Impaired Driving Unit will assist by improving processing of those arrested in King County. In addition to King County, “Surround the Sound” emphasis patrols will be conducted in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom Counties.

For over a decade, the King County Traffic Safety Coalition (now known as the King County Target Zero Task Force) has brought together law enforcement, public health, and community partners to help reduce traffic deaths and injuries. This work is coordinated by the Kent Police Department and Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Violence and Injury Prevention Unit, and is supported by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.