The Bellevue Police Department is urging residents to plan ahead and arrange sober transportation during the holiday season after seeing a recent rise in impaired-driving arrests.
So far in November, officers have made 20 DUI arrests within Bellevue city limits. Seven of those arrests happened between November 14 and 16. The department’s Crime Analysis Unit also reports a year-over-year increase, with 270 DUI arrests in 2025 compared to 253 in 2024, a 7% rise.
Police Chief Wendell Shirley said impaired driving is completely preventable and stressed the importance of making safe choices during the holidays. He encouraged residents to keep the roads safe by arranging a sober ride if they plan to drink.
The department highlighted several options for getting home safely, including public transit, rideshare services, or carpooling and more.
Bellevue Police take part in the King County Target Zero Task Force, a partnership focused on reducing crashes, injuries, and traffic deaths across the county. The department is also part of Bellevue’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious-injury collisions on city streets by 2030.
According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, about 49% of all traffic fatalities, 3,081 deaths, involved an impaired driver.
