‘Tie One On For Safety’ Madd Launches Annual Red-Ribbon Campaign Against Drunken Driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving kicked off its “Tie One On for Safety” campaign Tuesday.

The tying, though, refers to red ribbons - not liquor. The ribbons, available at local businesses, are reminders that drunken drivers kill others and themselves.

Students, police, sheriff’s deputies and Washington State Patrol troopers gathered outside the Spokane Arena to support the effort.

Spokane County Prosecutor Jim Sweetser proclaimed Nov. 17-24 Drunk Driving Awareness Week.

“What happened in the last two weeks just brought it home so dramatically,” said City Councilman Orville Barnes. He was referring to the death of Nicholas R. Scherling, a Post Falls middle school student who was run over and killed Nov. 10 by a woman authorities believe had been drinking.

“There’s no question of the problem that’s here,” Barnes said.

The State Patrol agreed. Last weekend alone, troopers arrested 26 suspected drunken drivers in Spokane County, said WSP Capt. Michael Dubee.

So far this year, there have been 944 drunken driving arrests, said Rep. Mark Sterk, R-Spokane. Just five of those arrested were teenagers. “And that’s good news,” Sterk said.

He vowed to fight for two bills beefing up DUI laws in the upcoming legislative session. The first would lower the legal limit from a blood-alcohol level of 0.1 percent to 0.08 percent. The second bill, which he is sponsoring, would make a third drunken driving conviction an automatic felony.

For more information or for ribbons, call MADD at 482-0405.

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