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The SUB-RECIPIENT shall carry out the provisions of the traffic safety project described here as the <br />Statement of Work (SOW). lf the SUB-RECIPIENT is unable to fulfill the SOW in any manner on this <br />project, the SUB-RECIPIENT must contact the WTSC program manager immediately and discuss a <br />potential amendment. All Federal and State regulations will apply. <br />3.1 SCOPE OF WORK <br />3.1.1 Problem lD and/or Opportunity <br />lmpaired Driving in Washington State: Overview <br />Washington State continues to experience a sustained increase in traffic fatalities, with 2023 marking <br />the deadliest year since 1997. While fatalities declined slightly in2024,they remain 33 percent higher <br />than pre-pandemic levels. lmpaired driving contributes to approximately 47 percent of all traffic deaths, <br />with a growing shift towar:d drug and poly-substance impairment. At the same time, enforcement <br />challenges persist, including declining DUI arrests, low officer staffing levels, and toxicology delays <br />exceeding 400 days, all of which impact timely prosecution and accountability. <br />Data from the 2025 Washington Traffic Safety Commission Statewide Survey highlights a disconnect <br />between public concern and confidence in enforcement. While only a small percentage of drivers report <br />impaired driving, 78 percent believe alcohol-impaired driving occurs in their communities and nearly 70 <br />percent believe the same for cannabis. Support for enforcement remains high, yet less than half believe <br />impaired drivers are likely to be caught, and only 67 .2 percent believe arrests lead to prosecution. <br />These statewide trends are reflected at the local level, where impaired driving continues to contribute to <br />fatal crashes and presents ongoing challenges for enforcement, particularly in rural and high-risk travel <br />corridors such as those in Kittitas County. <br />Kittitas County, Washington: A Regional Perspective <br />lmpaired driving has remained a persistent factor in fatal crashes in Kittitas County over the past <br />decade. While long-term trends show fluctuation, the most notable changes have occurred within the <br />last five years, particularly related to drug involvement and crash characteristics. <br />Locally in Kittitas County, DUI arrests have been on a steady increase.ln2023, Kittitas County deputies <br />made 74 DUt arrests. This number grew to 98 in 2024, and 143 DUI arrests in 2025. So far in the first 3 <br />months of 2026, KCSO deputies have made 49 DUI arrests or on pace for 196 DUI arrests. Other local <br />law enforcement agencies also have seem similar increases, despite lower staffing, suggesting that DUI <br />drivers are becoming more prevalent in the Kittitas County area, DUI collision arrests have also followed <br />a similar pattern, increasing year over year from 2A23 through 2025, On average, STo/o of all collisions <br />reported to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day. <br />page2of 26