Herald Editorial Committee
It doesn’t bode well that even though the state’s drivers are driving fewer miles on the road, there have been more fatal traffic crashes in recent years than in the past.
Analysis of data from national highways shows that even though driver miles traveled decreased by about 3 percent from 2019 to 2022, the number of traffic fatalities among drivers, passengers, motorcycle riders, cyclists, and pedestrians increased over the same period. Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which increased by a total of 18 percent.
A total of 750 people died in crashes on Washington state roads in 2022, making it the deadliest year since 1990, according to the state Traffic Safety Commission. And as of July last year, the number of deaths in the first six months of 2023 had risen to 417, outpacing the 2022 pace for this period.
Meanwhile, Finland, which has a similar population of 5.5 million people compared to Washington state’s 7.7 million, already has fewer traffic fatalities than Washington state, falling from 270 in 2016 to 189 in 2022. ing.
Those differences are significant enough to prompt a visit by bipartisan state lawmakers and state transportation officials to Finland last month to get a better perspective. was. About what’s working in Finland and how it applies in Washington state.
And indeed, the visit was necessary ahead of Congress’ 60-day session that begins Monday, Rias said.
“With Zoom, you can watch a PowerPoint presentation, but you can also walk the streets, take tours to see how environmental factors contribute, and ask 20 additional questions. “You can’t do that,” he said. He said.
He said what the group received was confirmation of ongoing efforts, as well as adjustments to existing policies and some new approaches.
The top four causes of traffic accidents in Washington state are the same as in Finland. These include speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, and failure to wear a seatbelt.
“This is happening at a much lower level[in Finland]because of the methods used,” he said.
All 50 states have lowered the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers to 0.08 to prevent impaired driving, and efforts are underway to lower it further. Utah lowered its limit to 0.05, and Lias, joined by state Sen. John Robick (D-Mill Creek), introduced a bill last year (Senate Bill 5002) that would set the limit at 0.05 like Finland. I hope it will be revived. 2011.
“We heard loud and clear from them that the most effective thing they’ve done is limit blood alcohol levels to 0.05. And that people really don’t drink and drive, that this is the most effective thing they’ve done. “We see ourselves as central to the cultural change that we’ve achieved,” Rias said, pushing back against American culture’s rationalization that “a few drinks” is not enough. Impairing the driver.
“The problem with alcohol is that it obscures your ability to know how much you’ve drunk and what your capabilities are,” he says.
Finland also has a different policy on penalties for impaired driving ability, emphasizing shorter prison sentences but heavier fines based on income. He said the fine would increase depending on the blood alcohol level, ranging from 0.05 to 1.2, increasing in stages above 1.2. Lias said the commission could consider graduated penalties based on blood alcohol level.
Another program that has been effective in Finland is auto-enforcement. traffic camera. Compared to Snohomish County’s population of 840,000, Helsinki alone has about 632,000 residents and has 70 speed cameras installed throughout the city.
Washington state’s use of traffic cameras at speed zones and intersections has expanded in recent years beyond school zones and other limited areas. Cities were allowed to expand its use. And in July of this year, traffic cameras installed along highway construction zones will begin issuing fines of up to $500, double the standard fine, for speeding when workers are present.
The state Department of Transportation tallied nearly 1,000 work zone crashes in 2021, including 30 serious accidents and five fatalities.
The effect of increased use of traffic cameras in Finland has been to reduce speeds for all drivers, but even more significantly for drivers driving at higher speeds, resulting in fewer accidents, injuries and deaths. Rias said that there is a possibility that the number of people will decrease. .
“People who are driving 5 to 10 miles per hour, those are the people we really want to stop, because the roads aren’t designed that way,” he said.
Similarly, camera placement and spacing can persuade drivers to maintain lower speeds even when they are out of camera range.
Rias also hopes that lawmakers will continue to consider how road and roadway design can be used to limit injuries and deaths, especially to pedestrians and bicyclists. Nationally, U.S. cities saw a steady decline in pedestrian fatalities from 1980 to 2010, before returning to the 1990 level of more than 20 fatalities per million residents. Ta. Notably, the rise is primarily due to collisions that occur after dark.
Many factors can contribute to these nighttime accidents, but Finland has been working for more than 50 years to use road design to slow traffic and increase distances, such as planting strips, etc. has separated sidewalks and bicycle lanes from roadways. space. Additionally, narrower roads and lower speed limits mean less traffic and more time for drivers to react to unexpected situations.
Other bills considered this session:
Senate Bill 5514 would prohibit drivers from making right turns on red lights at intersections near schools, child care centers, parks, senior centers, transportation centers, etc.
Senate Bill 5841, sponsored by Robick, would require those convicted of impaired driving to pay financial support to their minor children or dependents if the violation resulted in the death or disability of a parent. It is mandatory.
Senate Bill 5872, also sponsored by Robick, would regulate self-driving cars, including a requirement for a human to be behind the wheel and monitor the vehicle’s operations.
As Washington state’s sad statistics continue to rise, applying what has worked elsewhere gives us confidence that similar measures will be successful here.
“When you make these changes, there will be an impact,” Rias said. “This is not a wishy-washy endeavor. This is research and fact-based based on what we’ve seen.”
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