Statistics don’t describe the person who is racing while drunk, strikes a cyclist, stops, and flees the scene, leaving the cyclist to die alone in the cold…the person who is prosecuted on a reduced severity crime, sentanced to prison for a maximum of 5 years, released and driving again in 2.
Statistics released by the government are faceless, nameless, cold, and without emotion. They don’t talk about the children left fatherless or motherless, the gap felt by the loss of a member of society.
These are statistics:
| COUNTY | CITY | PRIMARY TRAFFICWAY | INTERSECTING TRAFFICWAY | DATE | YEAR | MONTH | MOST SEVERE SOBRIETY TYPE | NUMBER OF FATALITIES | NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS | NUMBER OF PEDAL CYCLISTS |
| Chelan | 2 | 06-24-04 | 2004 | June | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | |||
| Clark | Vancouver | SE 136 AVE | 06-01-07 | 2007 | June | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | ||
| Clark | Vancouver | NE ANDRESEN RD | 25 ST | 02-07-06 | 2006 | February | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | |
| Grays Harbor | 12 | 01-10-07 | 2007 | January | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | |||
| Jefferson | 60120 | 07-11-07 | 2007 | July | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | |||
| King | Kenmore | JUANITA DR NE | 02-23-07 | 2007 | February | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | ||
| King | Seattle | 35 AVE SW | SW GRAHAM ST | 09-27-06 | 2006 | September | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | |
| King | Seattle | HIGHLAND PARK WAY SW | 03-17-06 | 2006 | March | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | ||
| King | Kent | S 212 ST | 06-02-05 | 2005 | June | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | ||
| King | Redmond | WILLOWS RD | 09-18-05 | 2005 | September | HBD – Ability Impaired | 1 | 1 | ||
| King | 61030 | 04-09-05 | 2005 | April | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | |||
| King | Seattle | 8 AVE NW | 08-02-04 | 2004 | August | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | ||
| Kitsap | 42600 | 44350 | 09-08-07 | 2007 | September | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | ||
| Kitsap | 307 | 02-03-05 | 2005 | February | HBD – Ability Impaired | 1 | 1 | |||
| Pierce | 016LX00877 | 07-05-07 | 2007 | July | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | |||
| Pierce | Puyallup | 167 | 05-10-05 | 2005 | May | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | ||
| Snohomish | 91559 | 91556 | 08-24-05 | 2005 | August | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | ||
| Spokane | Spokane Valley | E APPLEWAY | 05-09-05 | 2005 | May | HBD – Ability Impaired | 1 | 1 | ||
| Spokane | Spokane Valley | WELLESLEY | BEST | 05-11-05 | 2005 | May | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | |
| Thurston | Tumwater | LORNE ST SE | MCDONALD ST SE | 02-19-07 | 2007 | February | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | |
| Whatcom | Bellingham | BARKLEY BLVD | SUSSEX DR | 04-30-08 | 2008 | April | Had NOT Been Drinking | 1 | 1 | |
| Whatcom | 12750 | 01-19-08 | 2008 | January | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 1 | |||
| Chelan | 94470 | 08-28-05 | 2005 | August | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 2 | |||
| King | Seattle | EASTLAKE AVE E | FUHRMAN AVE E | 09-07-07 | 2007 | September | Had NOT Been Drinking (tox test) | 1 | 2 | |
| Pierce | 97500 | 01-01-05 | 2005 | January | HBD – Ability Impaired | 1 | 2 |
To make the statistics real, to connect them to people, join us at the Statewide Traffic Justice Summit this Wednesday, October 14th, at the Seattle City Hall from 5:30pm-7:30pm.
Everyone has different opinions of what the law should be. Should we have a $12,500 fine and 200 community service hour requirement like Oregon does? http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/laws_regs.shtml
Or should we revoke the license to operate a motor vehicle for 5 years and require community service hours with a bicycle or pedestrian non-profit?
Should drivers be liable to financially support the families of the people they kill?
Should we treat causing a death using a motor vehicle the same way we treat the misuse of a firearm?
Come share your opinions and experiences.
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