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Kittitas County: lmpaired Driving Fatal Crash Trends-10 Year, 5 Year, and Current Analysis <br />All data presented reflects impaired driving involved fatal crashes only, not general crash trends, <br />highlighting the direct impact of impairment on fatalities in Kittitas County. <br />10 Year Trends (2015-2024) <br />. lmpaired driver-involved fatal crashes peaked at 9 in 2016 <br />. Declined to a low of 1 in 2019 <br />. lncreased again lo 6in2022 <br />. Stabilized at 2 fatalities in both 2023 and2024 <br />Over the 1O-year period, impaired driving remains a consistent contributor to fatal crashes, with cyclical <br />increases rather than sustained decline <br />5 Year Trends and Emerging Changes (2020-202$ <br />The most significant changes in the past five years are related to type of impairment and driver <br />complexity. <br />. Alcoholonly:4 <br />. Drug only: 3 <br />. Poly drug no alcohol: 4 <br />' Poly drug with alcohol:2 <br />Drug and poly-drug impairment now meet or exceed alcohol-only cases. While alcohol-only cases total <br />11 over the full dataset, combined drug involvement surpasses alcohol, reflecting a shift toward more <br />complex impairment. <br />. 5 cases involved two or more drugs <br />. 8 cases involved no drugs <br />poly-substance use has become a significant factor in fatal crashes, increasing challenges for <br />enforcement and prosecution. <br />Current Crash Characteristics and Risk Factors <br />. 58 percent single vehicle crashes <br />. 72 percent lane deParture <br />. Speeding involved in 23 to 24 percent of crashes <br />. Distraction decreased from 14 percent to B percent <br />These crashes continue to reflect loss of vehicle control, often combined with high-risk behaviors such <br />as speeding. <br />Summary of Key Changes <br />. Shift from alcohol-only to drug and poly-drug impairment <br />. Increased presence of multi-substance use <br />page 3 of26