Interagency Agreement-2026-Sub-grants-5964-Kittitas County Sheriff DUI OT Project partially signed

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The SUB -RECIPIENT shall carry out the provisions of the traffic safety project described here as the Statement of Work (SOW). If the SUB -RECIPIENT is unable to fulfill the SOW in any manner on this project, the SUB -RECIPIENT must contact the WTSC program manager immediately and discuss a potential amendment. All Federal and State regulations will apply. 3.1 SCOPE OF WORK 3.1.1 Problem ID and/or Opportunity Impaired Driving in Washington State: Overview Washington State continues to experience a sustained increase in traffic fatalities, with 2023 marking the deadliest year since 1997. While fatalities declined slightly in 2024, they remain 33 percent higher than pre -pandemic levels. Impaired driving contributes to approximately 47 percent of all traffic deaths, with a growing shift toward drug and poly -substance impairment. At the -same time, enforcement challenges persist, including declining DUI arrests, low officer staffing levels, and toxicology delays exceeding 400 days, all of which impact timely prosecution and accountability. Data from the 2025 Washington Traffic Safety Commission Statewide Survey highlights a disconnect between public concern and confidence in enforcement. While only a small percentage of drivers report impaired driving, 78 percent believe alcohol -impaired driving occurs in their communities and nearly 70 percent believe the same for cannabis. Support for enforcement remains high, yet less than half believe impaired drivers are likely to be caught, and only 67.2 percent believe arrests lead to prosecution. These statewide trends are reflected at the local level, where impaired driving continues to contribute to fatal crashes and presents ongoing challenges for enforcement, particularly in rural and high -risk travel corridors such as those in Kittitas County. Kittitas County, Washington: A Regional Perspective Impaired driving has remained a persistent factor in fatal crashes in Kittitas County over the past decade. While long-term trends show fluctuation, the most notable changes have occurred within the last five years, particularly related to drug involvement and crash characteristics. Locally in Kittitas County, DUI arrests have been on a steady increase. In 2023, Kittitas County deputies made 74 DUI arrests. This number grew to 98 in 2024, and 143 DUI arrests in 2025. So far in the first 3 months of 2026, KCSO deputies have made 49 DUI arrests or on pace for 196 DUI arrests. Other local law enforcement agencies also have seem similar increases, despite lower staffing, suggesting that DUI drivers are becoming more prevalent in the Kittitas County area. DUI collision arrests have also followed a similar pattern, increasing year over year from 2023 through 2025. On average, 57% of all collisions reported to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day. page 2 of 26