Driving under the influence (DUI) accidents are often deadly. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2009 DUI statistics state that 10 percent of all traffic deaths involve a drunk driver. That percentage translates to 30 to 40 deaths every day or one every 40 to 45 minutes. The total for 2009 was 10,839 alcohol related deaths. Those are staggering numbers.
As profound and disturbing as these statistics are, there is a lot effort being put into reducing alcohol related deaths by several groups. The most aggressive response to DUI accidents has been tougher state laws. In most states, laws have been enacted that set the legal level of alcohol in the blood at .08. In many of those states, a driver caught exceeding the limit is placed under arrest.
Statistically, 40 percent of drivers will be involved in one DUI accident or arrest. However, one-third of those drivers will be arrested on a second DUI conviction that carries a much stiffer penalty. In most state courts sentences can include jail time, court fines, loss of driving privileges and an increase in the cost of insurance.
While punitive measures that also punish the pocketbook are effective, there are a number of proactive actions that can be taken to reduce accidents that involve alcohol. Police checkpoints are one of the most visible and effective deterrents to drunk driving.
State and local police departments regularly set up checkpoints at random locations, especially on weekends or around a holiday. Officers check for licenses and registration. During the check, police also check for indications of driver intoxication. When a driver is suspected of being drunk, he or she is administered a Standard Field Sobriety Test or a breathalyzer test to determine whether or not the driver is under the influence. A driver found to be DUI is taken into custody.
Another proactive program encourages groups to appoint a “designated driver” who agrees not to drink alcohol during an outing and drives for the group. In some cities there are volunteer designated driver programs that provide drivers for individuals who might exceed the legal blood alcohol level.
There are more proactive approaches in the making. One idea is to install an ignition interlock and a breathalyzer device in cars that would require the driver breath into the device before the interlock would close and allow the car to be started.
Another approach comes from Great Britain and being tested privately in Massachusetts. The “drunk driver detection system” would actually test the driver’s skin in two ways before the car could be driven.
There are already significant results from the combined efforts. Between 2001 and 2009 there has been a 32 percent drop in alcohol impaired fatalities.