Washington State Patrol issued the following statement and 2013 report card regarding Thurston and Pierce County statistics and improvements:

Troopers working in District 1 (Thurston and Pierce County) work very hard enforcing laws to keep citizens safe on our roadways.  Every time a trooper stops an impaired, speeding, or aggressive driver a life is potentially saved.  Citizens expect hard work from us and here’s what we’ve done for them in 2013:

• (DUI’S) Impaired drivers:  Troopers removed 3,203 drivers from our roadways who where impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
• Speeders:  Troopers stopped 57,145 speeding drivers and issued 42,006 tickets.
• Seat belt violations: Troopers stopped 10,849 drivers for not wearing a seatbelt and issued 9,230 tickets.
• Aggressive drivers: Trooper stopped 9,927 aggressive drivers who have committed two or more moving violations that are likely to endanger persons or property, or any single intentional violation that requires defensive reaction by another driver.
• Collisions and Distracted Driving: Troopers investigated 6,454 collisions and stopped 4,216 drivers for talking/texting while driving.
• Total Stops: Troopers stopped and contacted 123,596 drivers in 2013.

Reducing collisions and saving lives have been, and always will be, our goal!  Keeping our roads safe is a huge job. Washington State Patrol troopers will continue working hard to keep citizens safe and to earn their trust and confidence.