The Bellevue Police Department asked residents in Bellevue and from surrounding communities this morning to utilize sober rides while traveling across the city and the greater Puget Sound region should they be impaired. The request comes as the city of Bellevue has seen the largest number of monthly driving under the influence (DUI) incidents for the city in over five years.
According to arrest data, Bellevue Officers have responded to 36 separate DUI-related incidents across the community. With the 2024 monthly DUI average at 24, October marks a 50-percent jump in cases.
“With the holidays fast approaching, Bellevue Police are asking residents to be proactive and put their safety and the safety of the community first,” said Wendell Shirley, Chief of the Bellevue Police Department. “There is no excuse to driving under the influence. If you are impaired, grab a sober ride home. It’s that simple.”
DUI and impaired-driving arrests are always preventable. The Bellevue Police Department urges residents to take advantage of many other options to ensure a safe ride home and a safe community – including taking public transit, ridesharing opportunities made available on smartphones, carpooling and vanpooling, walking, or calling a friend or family member.
Bellevue Police is a part of the King County Target Zero Task Force, a collaboration from stakeholders such as law enforcement, city/regional/state/tribal governments, community organizations, and schools to create equitable traffic safety programs that would reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities across King County. It is also part of the city of Bellevue’s Vision Zero initiative, adopted in 2016, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious-injury collisions on city streets by 2030. Educating people driving on the danger of driving under the influence and enforcing traffic laws are part of Bellevue’s Safe System approach to road safety.
According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the state reached a 33-year high in traffic-related fatalities on Washington’s roads last year – including 400 deaths that involved an impaired motorist and 135 that involved a distracted driver. More data surrounding this growing problem can be found by visiting a dashboard provided by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
Bellevue Beat Blog 