Getting There: Emphasis patrols will target speeders

If you have a lead foot on the gas pedal, Friday would be a good day to ease up.

Spokane-area law enforcement officers will conduct a one-day emphasis patrol to enforce speed limits.

Traffic safety advocates say speeding is the third-most common factor in serious and fatal auto collisions.

Emphasis patrols have been shown to improve driving behavior, officials said.

Spokane police, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Washington University police, Airway Heights police and the Washington State Patrol will be involved in Friday’s effort.

“Research shows increased public awareness and high visibility enforcement patrols reduce unsafe driving behaviors,” Spokane police said in a news release.

The patrol will be in areas where speeding has led to a high number of collisions, officials said. Those locations were not given.

In addition to slowing down, officers said, drivers should adjust their speed for weather and road conditions, especially in winter storms.

The state of Washington has been working on a program to end all traffic fatalities by 2030.

In 2014, Washington had 429 fatal crashes that claimed 462 lives. Speeding was a factor in 144 of them in which 159 people were killed, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Through the first six months of 2015, there were 237 traffic deaths with 73 of those fatalities related to speeding.

Those statistics reflect an increase in fatal accidents in recent years. In 2012, 438 people died in traffic fatalities in Washington, and in 2013, the loss of life was 436. However, the overall trend since 2008 has been downward.

In Idaho, traffic deaths have seen an overall downward trend since 2005, when 275 people died on roads. The number dropped to 186 in 2014 and was 84 in the first six months of 2015.

Direct flight to Alaska offered

Alaska Airlines announced last week it is offering a direct flight on Saturdays from Spokane to Anchorage, Alaska, from June 11 through Aug. 27.

The flight will depart Spokane at 7:40 p.m. and arrive in Anchorage at 10:20 p.m.

The return flight will depart Anchorage at 11:55 p.m. and arrive in Spokane at 4:26 a.m. Sunday.

The lowest-priced coach fare for the flight is $503 round trip. The direct flight saves two to three hours each way compared with flying through Seattle.

Some support for full-service gas

Washington drivers might be warm to the idea of bringing full service back to fueling stations, according to a new survey from PEMCO Insurance.

The survey showed that 40 percent of Washington drivers would like full service in which an attendant pumps the fuel for the driver. However, a 51 percent majority likes the way things are now.

In Oregon, where fuel attendants are required in most cases, the support for full service is 69 percent.

A new law in Oregon now allows noncommercial drivers in less-populated rural counties the option to pump their own gas when an attendant isn’t present between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

That will allow fuel stations to remain available all night long.

Spokane resumes leaf pickup

In Spokane, leaf pickup has resumed in neighborhoods that were not cleared prior to snowfall earlier this season.

The loss of snowpack and opening of streets has allowed for the work in the area around Gonzaga University north to Empire Avenue and in the Liberty Park area.

Call hotline for pothole repair

Spokane city officials are reminding drivers they can help in getting their favorite potholes fixed by calling the pothole hotline at (509) 625-7733.