Towing Drunk Drivers = Saving Lives

A new law in Washington State could save countless lives by mandating that all persons arrested for drunk driving have their vehicles impounded and put on hold for 12 hours.

The law would officially be referred to as Hailey’s Law and a similar type of enforcement is already being used in New Jersey. It has been created in honor of Hailey French who was struck and severely injured by a DUI offender who had returned to her vehicle less than 2 hours after being stopped for possible DUI. Following her release by the police, the offender immediately returned to her vehicle and drove away, eventually colliding head on with Hailey’s vehicle while still under the influence of alcohol. The State of Washington was sued and forced to pay $5.5 million as a result.

Currently, law enforcement officers must separate the driver from the car in one of four ways: by impounding the car, by turning the car over to a sober, responsible adult, by turning the driver over to a sober, responsible adult, or by holding the driver in jail until he is sober. This leaves plenty of loopholes for drunk drivers. Even though a vehicle is impounded, it can be released immediately because towing companies have no method of checking a drivers blood alcohol level, nor the legal right to do so.

In September of 2009 3 people were killed in SeaTac shortly after the vehicle’s owner was arrested for DUI. Under the proposed law, the crash would never had occurred because the vehicle would have been impounded and held for 12 hours. Instead, another driver without a license drove the vehicle from where it was parked and picked up the drunk driver after she was released from police custody. The unlicensed driver drove the vehicle at a high rate of speed into the side of a warehouse, killing himself, and the accused DUI driver along with her brother.

House Bill 2565 has now been formally introduced in the 2010 session and could become a law sometime this year. Those sponsoring the bill include Representatives Ericksen, Simpson, Smith, Van De Wege, Sells, Orwall, Goodman, Morrell, and Moeller.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that in 2008 alcohol impaired drivers were responsible for 233 deaths state wide, which is nearly half of all traffic related fatalities. The WTSC also reported that “motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for persons 1 to 34 years of age in the United States.”

Hailey’s Law will prevent many alcohol related deaths if it moves through the House of Representatives as it is expected to. Many other agencies are in support of the life-saving bill, including the Washington State Patrol.

Airport Towing been involved in the recovery of thousands of wrecked vehicles over a period of 21 years, many of which are alcohol related injuries and fatalities. Support of House Bill 2565 is one step closer to reducing the number of lives that are destroyed from impaired driving. It is one more check system that would be in place to prevent tragedy.