The Thurston Board of County Commissioners adopted a proclamation endorsing the Target Zero initiative, a program spearheaded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission that aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Washington roadways by 2030.
The proclamation, adopted on August 20, highlighted the importance of Target Zero's mission. It acknowledged the critical need to reduce high-risk driving behaviors, such as impaired and distracted driving, which are leading contributors to traffic fatalities in the county and state.
“Thurston County, as a partner in implementing Target Zero, will continue to develop safety implementation strategies to reduce the exposure, likelihood, and severity of crashes,” the proclamation read.
During the public meeting, Tara Tsehlana, Target Zero Program Manager at the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, addressed the alarming rise in traffic fatalities.
"Last year alone, Thurston County experienced a staggering 94% increase in traffic fatalities," Tsehlana noted.
The program manager attributed this increase partly to the broader impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated public health challenges, including those on the roads.
“Traffic safety is a critical issue that affects not only individuals on the road but the well-being of our entire community,” Tsehlana said.
Tsehlana detailed that impaired driving remains the leading cause of fatal crashes in Thurston County, involved in over half of all such incidents.
She also noted the troubling correlation between impaired driving and speeding, which has contributed to 30% of all fatal crashes over the last six years.
The proclamation was supported by Many Dell, Program Manager at the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, who outlined the state's strategic approach to road safety through the Safe System Approach.
This strategy focuses on creating safer road environments, vehicles, speeds, and post-crash care, all of which aim to reduce the likelihood of fatalities and serious injuries.
Dell emphasized the need for legislative changes to support further traffic safety, including reducing the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving under the influence (DUI) from 0.08% to 0.05%.
"Legislation to lower the BAC limit for alcohol to 0.05% has been introduced to the Washington Legislature four times... and is expected to be introduced again in 2025," Dell stated, highlighting the ongoing efforts to align Washington with international standards that have proven effective in reducing alcohol-related crashes.
The County encourages all residents to promote traffic safety actively.
As Tsehlana noted, "By supporting each other and making responsible choices, we can build a safer and more resilient community for ourselves and our neighbors."
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KarenM
"Last year alone, Thurston County experienced a staggering 94% increase in traffic fatalities," Tsehlana noted.
The County has been a part of the "Target Zero" program for many years. I could not find a reference on the County website for when the County joined the program.
This trend of increasing traffic deaths includes people who are walking an cycling.
We need to do something more dramatic and different than signing proclamations. The design of roadways invites speeding. Changes need to be made to reduce speed and avoid higher speed crashes. Enforcement is only a part of the answer.
There are countries that have much much fewer traffic deaths. How do they do it? How can we learn from their success? It seems that we have become numb to the carnage that is happening on our roadways.
Friday, August 23 Report this
HappyOlympian
Need to put more emphasis on enforcing traffic laws; Thurston County, and particularly Olympia, horrible drivers. Yelm Highway in Olympia has had a 25 mph construction zone most of the summer and there is no enforcement during the day and people continue to drive thru at 40+. The fines are posted as double, and a ticket here would be several hundred dollars but that does not seem to deter anyone. Also, make sure insurance companies are kept informed of violations. Until there is a serious effort made to punish folks they will continue to drive like dimwits.
Saturday, August 24 Report this
OlyBlues
Thurston County has had a Target Zero program for over a decade and this year traffic fatalities have now increased 94%. Sounds like a very effective program. This is light reporting by the JOLT. What exactly is this program doing that is effective to reduce traffic fatalities? What evidence is provided that this government funded program is effective and being effectively run by the Prosecutor's Office? And to hear the program manager blame COVID in part for the increase in fatalities is grasping at straws to justify this program. What a waste of money. This is what they call putting lipstick on a pig.
Sunday, August 25 Report this
Southsoundguy
This is a stupid and unobtainable goal. Might as well call it the “War on Traffic Deaths.”
Sunday, August 25 Report this
HotTractor
I agree with KarenM. We need better designed roadways and coherent bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Some roads are too wide and invite speeding and inattention while driving.
Sunday, August 25 Report this
KarenM
Southsoundguy - Lately it certainly does seem like zero is an 'unattainable goal' - but it is not stupid. So aiming for zero makes sense because of this question: Which individual traffic death is okay with any of us? (Your neighbor, your cousin, the grocery clerk???)
In 2021 the US had 12.9 deaths per 100,000.
In 2019 Switzerland and Sweden each had 2.2 deaths per 100,000
Germany had 3.7 in 2019.
We should be able to better than Pakistan and Mexico, which have similar rates as the US.
I agree with other comments that we need to examine what is actually being done by this program. The increasing deaths indicate that we need to do something more and something different.
Monday, August 26 Report this
JulesJames
The obvious best step towards zero is requiring drivers on arterials to be licensed and their vehicles to come with seat belts, turn signals, headlights, air bags and brakes. Get the bike lanes off arterials!
Tuesday, August 27 Report this
AugieH
"The proclamation, adopted on August 20, highlighted the importance of Target Zero's mission. It acknowledged the critical need to reduce high-risk driving behaviors, such as impaired and distracted driving, which are leading contributors to traffic fatalities in the county and state."
I guess this means ordinances will be passed by the county outlawing from cars: squabbling children, rambunctious dogs, food and drink to eat and cosmetics to apply while driving, loud music, and talkative adult passengers.
The pointlessness and stupidity of this proclamation is mind boggling (but not surprising).
Wednesday, August 28 Report this