Lawmakers may reconsider checkpoints

OLYMPIA – Some lawmakers are reconsidering sobriety checkpoints and automated enforcement cameras in a bid to bring the number of road deaths down in the state.

Traffic deaths in Washington hit a high in 2022, with 750 fatalities, the highest number since 1990, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

And while 2023 statistics are not complete yet, by July 31, 417 people had died on Washington’s roads – on pace to surpass the number of 2022 deaths.

“What we’ve done to date is not having the impact we want,” Transportation Committee Chairman Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, said durin...