Edmonds Police Will Be Looking for Impaired Drivers on Super Bowl Sunday

Officers from the Edmonds Police Department will be among those joining Target Zero teams on Super Bowl Sunday as they look for drivers who are under the influnce.

Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis between the New England Patriots and New York Giants begins at 3:30 p.m.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, you could be liable if someone leaves your home impaired and is involved in a traffic crash. "Be the designated driver, take a taxi and plan ahead," said Snohomish County DUI and Target Zero Task Force manager Tracy McMillan.

Target Zero is the state’s goal of no annual traffic fatalities by 2030. Its teams include increased numbers of Washington State Patrol and local police, special prosecutors and community members who are focused on stopping DUI crashes.

In additition to the Edmonds officers, those agencies involved in the Target Zero teams project in Snohomish County include the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol, the Tulalip Tribal Police department and city officers from Arlington, Brier, Bothell, Everett, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Monroe and Mukilteo.

Target Zero teams will also be on patrol in King and Pierce counties.

Across Washington state, 12 people have died in collisions on Super Bowl Sunday during the past 10 years. About half of those fatalities involved an impaired driver.

“We haven’t had a traffic fatality in Snohomish County on Super Bowl Sunday since 2004 when a motorcyclist was killed in a speed‐related crash,” said McMillan. “We want to continue our life‐saving winning streak.”

Traffic crashes kill or seriously injure hundreds of people across Washington state each year, and driving impaired is a leading cause of these crashes. Target Zero Teams work to prevent and arrest impaired drivers through full‐time state troopers and part‐time officers from local agencies.

For more information, contact McMillan at Tracy.McMillan@snoco.org.

If you are attending a party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant

• Designate a sober driver before the party begins, and leave your car keys home.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with nonalcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you, or just stay where you are.
• Never let a friend get behind the wheel of their vehicle if you think they are impaired.
• Always buckle up—it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.

If you are hosting a party

• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired‐driving crash.
• Make sure your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride‐sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food and include lots of nonalcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter; begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep handy the numbers for local cab companies and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.