Washington State DUI arrests by the numbers

The Washington State Patrol DUI section has released a report analyzing statistics for DUI arrests occurring in 2008. The statistics were compiled from the database aggregated from data kept on the BAC Verifier DataMaster breath testing machines located throughout Washington State and used for the evidential breath test in a DUI arrest. From this report we learn the answers to the following questions regarding 2008 Washington State DUI arrests: Question: Which Washington State police agency made the most DUI arrests? Answer: By far, the most DUI arrests were made by the Washington State Patrol (14, 685). The Seattle Police Department DUI arrests were a distant second at 723 DUI arrests, and the King County Sheriff’s Office was third with 687 DUI arrests. Of course, the State Patrol has the advantage of being a single agency making DUI arrests throughout the entire state. Question: Statistically speaking, who is arrested more often for DUI in Washington State, males or females? Answer: No contest. Males are arrested for DUI more often than females. In 2008, 24,048 males were arrested for DUI and 7223 females were arrested. Question: Statewide, what percentage of people arrested for DUI refuse to take the breath test? Answer: 83% took the test; 17% refused to take the breath test. Those who refused faced harsher penalties because they refused the test. Question: Is a person more likely to refuse the test if arrested by one police agency as opposed to another? Answer: It seems so. For instance, the Spokane police department had the highest reported rate of suspects refusing to take the breath test (29.4%). Statistically speaking, 22% of Seattle DUI arrests handled by the Seattle Police Department refused, whereas WSP’s statewide rate of refusal was 14.6%. These numbers suggest that the Spokane Police Department police officers are twice as likely as the State Patrol to end the DUI breath testing process by indicating the suspect refused the test. Question: Which age group is arrested for DUI most often? Answer: Those in the 20-29 age group (13,432 arrests) dominated the 2008 DUI statistics, followed by those in the 30-30 age group (6572 arrests). Folks in the age group of 70 and over were least represented with 199 DUI arrests. A Seattle DUI or a DUI anywhere in Washington State is a serious matter and many citizens find themselves in the position of being charged with DUI. Anyone charged with DUI should seek the advice of an experienced DUI defense attorney at the earliest opportunity. Our firm can be reached at (425) 451-1995.