As Seattle prepares to host its first World Cup matches, authorities are reporting a rise in impaired driving, making safety campaigns like 100 Safe Days of Summer even more important. Over Friday and Saturday, troopers in King County alone arrested 31 people for suspected impairment.
A trooper acknowledged that 31 arrests over a single weekend is higher than a normal weekend. Officials note that the wave of celebrations naturally creates moments where people may not realize they are impaired and may not make the best decision for themselves or the community.
In Bellevue, Public Information Officer Drew Anderson said the city recorded a couple of DUI-related arrests over the same period. Officers there also handed out several distracted driving related tickets as part of the stepped-up enforcement.
Bellevue is also seeing an upward trend in DUI-related incidents over the longer term. From January to May this year, there were 141 related incidents, compared with 127 during the same period last year and 99 the year before that.
Trooper Johnson said the Washington State Patrol is analyzing everything as time goes on. After the first World Cup match, officials plan to compare the figures with a normal Monday to better gauge the tournament's impact on local roads.
Authorities are also pushing out messaging to make sure visitors from other countries understand the local rules of the road. Officials encouraged fans to enjoy the World Cup but urged them to make alternative plans to get home safely, keeping the whole community safe as well.