The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) has committed to ZERO traffic fatalities and/or serious collisions from speed, DUI, or lack of seat belt use by the year 2030.

That's a lofty goal. And the majority of my position at the Sheriff's Office, as the "Target Zero" Manager, is to coordinate law enforcement to uphold that goal and work toward attaining that goal.

It's hard to be gung-ho for something I cannot believe in. Sure, on paper Ms Governor has committed to it, because it's election year. It sounds great to be able to commit an entire state to ZERO avoidable traffic fatalities in a mere 20 years. But I think it's unrealistic.

I feel guilty because I think that I'm alone in this. Our state has 25 people (give or take) that all do the same thing, just in different counties or areas (King County has a couple because Seattle is in that county). Everyone is completely on-board with the idea and they've done a million things in their communities to help further the goal. It's like they have blinders on for reality.

I don't think we could ever hope for that goal, as fantastic as it seems. Mainly because you cannot change 100% of human behavior. We could write tickets, enforce laws, and the like until we're blue in the face--but you can't change human behavior with all of that. I am a horrible example--I text while driving (which is a primary offense in the state now), I speed (not a lot, but enough). I know it's illegal, I know I shouldn't do it--but I still do.

Maybe I'm just being a completely pessimistic stick-in-the-mud, but I can't help but feel the goal is a futile battle that we'll never win.

I try to compare that thought-process with my weight loss in the hopes that I'll become gung-ho for traffic safety, but the difference is that I can see PROOF that my weight-loss efforts are working. I can't see that with the results of my traffic-safety efforts.

I'll just keep on keepin' on, I guess. It pays my bills.