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Washington State Patrol troopers will be out in force over the Labor Day weekend stopping speeders, impaired drivers and motorists without seat belts.
Chief John Batiste said command staff, including himself, will be patrolling the highways to help keep motorists safe.
"The is the last hoorah for summer activities," Batiste said Friday at a news conference in Kennewick "Traditionally, Labor Day weekend has been one of those that have created fatalities."
Last year, four people died in accidents over the holiday weekend. In 2008, five people were killed.
Batiste was joined by former Benton County Sheriff Bob Rupp, who is the Washington State Patrol's oldest living retired trooper.
Rupp, who retired in 1974 after 46 years with the state patrol and 12 years as sheriff, said he's lived a long life by not drinking, not smoking and being safe on the road.
"Good clean living," said the 95-year-old Rupp. "Leave the booze at home. I'm not a booze hound, I've had maybe 25 drinks in my whole life. If you're going to drink, get someone to drive you."
Rupp also said people need to get more sleep and not drive drowsy, wear their seat belt and "quit talking on the stupid cell phones."
Troopers will be conducting saturation patrols around the Mid-Columbia and across the state, focusing on areas and times when problems like DUI crashes occur.
Extra law enforcement officers also will be out tonight on DUI patrols in the Tri-Cities as part of the state's "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" safety campaign.
Batiste said the state averages about 42,000 DUIs each year, and for eight years an average of 220 lives were lost because of drinking and driving.
"We need to drive that down and keep it down," he said.
As part of the state's Target Zero campaign, an effort to eliminate traffic-related deaths by 2030, Batiste said troopers are using data to target their efforts.
He's also provided extra troopers in the Yakima Valley to create a new DUI squad. Capt. Shawn Berry said the team is made up of four troopers and one supervisor who aren't required to respond to regular calls.
The troopers are specially trained to detect drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs and are dedicated to "proactively work on DUI arrests."
The DUI squad has been working since the end of June and already has seen success, Berry said. For the month of August, there was just one fatality collision in the Valley, when previous years averaged seven to 10.
The DUI squad also can be moved to areas within in District 3, which covers Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla, where data show there is a need, he said. For example, the squad was in the Tri-Cities to help conduct extra patrols on boat race weekend.
The crackdown on driving behavior that leads to serious injury or fatal accidents is for the public's safety, officials said.
Troopers also are responsible for contacting families whose loved one has been killed in a crash, and Batiste said the death notifications are "one of the hardest things we have to do."
During his time as a trooper, Rupp responded to hundreds of accidents but said he remembers every death notification he had to make.
"It's the saddest thing I've done in my life and I've had to do it many, many times," Rupp said.
And what makes it worse, he said, is that it's preventable if people would just follow the rules, slow down and pay attention.
"If you choose to drink and drive this weekend, we will do our best to save your life, and others', by arresting you," Batiste said. "We want to help you live to be Bob Rupp's age."
-- Paula Horton: 582-1556; phorton@tricityherald.com
