Editor’s note: The following is a press release from the King County Sheriff’s Office.
High Visibility Enforcement patrols are out on the roads in King County, monitoring for motorists who are speeding, driving while distracted, or driving under the influence. The patrols will be active through Super Bowl Weekend (February 6-8) and will work to make sure everyone gets home safely from their gameday watch parties.
In addition to keeping drivers safe during a busy weekend, these efforts and extra resources are part of the Night of 1,000 Stars campaign, which recognizes and remembers the 1,000 traffic enforcement personnel across Washington who are working to keep roadways safe.
“Night of 1,000 Stars is an opportunity to remind motorists how important safe driving is while also recognizing and remembering the dedicated people who sacrifice time with loved ones during the holidays,” and said Sara Hallstead, Target Zero Manager, South King County. “This year, we are dedicating patrols to the memory of Trooper Christopher Gadd, who is a Washington State Patrol Trooper who was killed by an impaired driver while on duty in March 2024.”
At this year’s kickoff, officials from the Kent Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, and Washington State Patrol will host a traffic safety briefing before deploying patrols. The extra patrols are partially funded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and coordinated by the King County Target Zero Coalition, which brings together law enforcement, public health, transportation, and community partners. A similar Target Zero campaign and kickoff event will also take place in Snohomish County on Feb. 6.
The King County Target Zero Coalition encourages motorists to call 911 and report someone who is driving impaired, or if they observe someone swerving in and out of their lane and driving erratically. This can include speeding, braking suddenly or inappropriately, or making wide turns.
For more information, please visit www.kingcountytargetzero.com.
ABOUT THE KING COUNTY TARGET ZERO COALITION
The King County Target Zero Coalition is a collection of representatives from law enforcement, public health, transportation, health and human services, and community organizations that aims to create equitable traffic safety programs to reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities in King County, Washington. The coalition uses a Safe System approach to build and manage programs that will prevent crashes and minimize harm, including speed reduction, pedestrian safety, and High-Visibility patrols. It is a partnership of Public Health – Seattle & King County and the Kent Police Department and is funded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
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