Law enforcement throughout Clallam County will be out on the roadways through March 20 to arrest drunk drivers who are out partying during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Participating in these St. Patrick’s Day patrols are the Port Angeles and Sequim Police Departments, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol.

Last year during this same time period, a total of nine DUI arrests were made in Clallam County.

In Washington, the most frequent factor contributing to traffic deaths still is driver impairment. In 2009, traffic crashes killed 491 people on Washington’s roadways. Impaired drivers accounted for 264 deaths, 53.8 percent of the total.

“Drunk or drugged driving remains the leading cause of death in traffic crashes,” said Lowell Porter, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “These preventable crashes can be eliminated if everyone works to become a part of the solution.”

More than two-thirds of Washington’s impaired-driver-involved fatal collisions occurred during nighttime hours, 6 p.m.-6 a.m. — 67.4 percent in 2000-2009.

For additional information, see www.wtsc.wa.gov.