Spokane police to crack down on DUI arrests through Labor Day

Spokane police are ramping up efforts to arrest drivers on suspicion of driving while intoxicated through Labor Day weekend, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.

While many DUI arrests are the result of police responding to a call, the two-man DUI unit will step it up for several days proactively looking for speeding, drivers rolling stop signs and other violations that often lead to officers finding intoxicated drivers, SPD spokesperson Julie Humphreys said.

Over 230 deaths were attributed to impaired driving in Washington state last year, according to the release.

“Labor Day weekend and at the end of summer in general, there’s a lot of unnecessary tragedy on the roads because of impaired drivers,” Humphreys said.

Police recommended arranging or providing for an impaired person’s ride home, arranging for the impaired person to stay where they are, offering your couch for the night or engaging someone else to help, which can mean calling 911.

Drivers who are impaired from more than one substance – usually alcohol and cannabis – are now the most common types involved in deadly crashes, the release said.