Each year, 13,000 people are killed by drunk drivers with a blood alcohol level above .08. Advocates of a new standard for in-car breathalyzers say that most, if not all, of those accidents could have been avoided if the drunk driver hadn't been able to turn his or her car on. If Congress and Mothers Against Drunk Driving get their way, could your next new car could come with a breathalyzer pre-installed? Much confusion surrounds in-car breathalyzer devices for those convicted of a DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while impaired), their nationwide rollout and several bills going through Congress on the matter. Some predict we'll all be driving a car with a similar device in future -- guilty or not -- whereas some …show more content…
Local, national advocates
Carl McDonald, of MADD, is quick to point out that while the campaign group is in favor of mandatory interlock penalties in all cases of DUI or DWI, or for about 1.5 million Americans convicted each year; the group is not in favor of a rollout of breathalyzers in every new car.
"Some say that MADD is in favor of putting interlocks in every car," McDonald said. "This is not the case. An interlock device is a method by which people demonstrate sobriety by actively doing something. We would never subject the population to that kind of thing by car. That's only for offenders." Citing "remarkable progress" in the number of states signing into law mandatory interlocks for all offenders, he says the law is an "easy sell to lawmakers" -- even in the face of opposition from states' rights groups. He adds that safety legislation on airbags and seat belts also became a federal issue and puts a timeframe of about ten years on a majority of states adopting, and enforcing, an interlock law for all offenders.
"What happens in real life...there are people who have been arrested and convicted of drunk driving," McDonald said. "Following that conviction they were suspended. People we know violate those laws repeatedly and they may have been picked up repeatedly. We know they're driving without insurance and often intoxicated. We want to make sure that if they're driving at all, they're driving sober."
New Mexico was the
According to this study, nearly all drivers were intoxicated and admitted. If all drivers were forced into a jail cell, there would be shrinkage in both fatalities and automobile accidents. In fact, “Almost half of all drivers who were killed in crashes tested positive for drugs and also had alcohol in their system” (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, and Schulenberg 1). So why should any offender remain free? According to “Drunk Driving Accident Statistics”, “Three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their lives” (5). To guarantee the safety of innocent people on the road, all offenders must go to jail immediately.
One of the positions that MADD holds concerning enforcement of anti-drunk driving legislation is the use of sobriety checkpoints and high visibility enforcement. As is stated on the “MADD’s Positions on Enforcement” page, “MADD supports the frequent and regular use of highly publicized sobriety checkpoints and other high visibility enforcement programs to detect and apprehend alcohol and other drug impaired drivers, and as a visible deterrent to drinking and driving” (MADD). However, there is some concern when it comes to this tactic which could undermine the status of MADD, such as Kenneth H. Beck’s evaluation of “Maryland’s anti0drunk driving program, Checkpoint Strikeforce.” From this study’s examination of the first three years of the
The facts are plain and simple, that alcohol and driving do not mix. About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some time in their lives. Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. To curb this national travesty, concerned Americans need to examine the problems, the effects, and the solutions to drunk driving. First of all, America has had a problem with drunk driving since Ford perfected the assembly line. Alcoholism is a problem in and of itself, but combined with driving can have a wide range of effects. The consequences of this reckless behavior can include a first time DUI or licenses suspension; a small fender bender, or worst of all a deadly crash. Most
Introduction: long ago the government banned the ability to make alcohol. This has caused a huge uproar which then people started to boot legging, as more and more people started to drink in the safety of their own homes. After the government saw how people were protesting this new law, they decided that they should left the ban. Since then people were able to drink in public, which in return has created another issue, now that they are drunk at a bar, how do they get home. Rather than taking the safe option and utilize some of the state and local programs and call a tow truck, the Driver chooses to just drive how drunk. They think that it’s ok, since they do not have their full mind.
A solution for eliminating drunk driving may be accomplished with an Ignition Interlock Device for detecting alcohol consumption. Although, some states incorporate the mandatory installation of such a device, it is usually with repeat offenders. Should more states enact this device with first time offenders, it may be a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Driving under the influence is extremely dangerous, I know from experience because my last two husbands (now deceased) suffered from this chronic issue. Their deaths brought me great sadness and immense wealth, but that's another topic for another day. As a member of the desperate housewives community, it has been declared that we have had enough with DUIs. We have compiled a list of genius solutions that may decrease the likeliness of DUIs.
As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true. There are not enough drivers who drive under the influence. In the year 2001, MADD Online approximated that only one in ten drivers, a mere 25 million, drove drunk, and, consequently these drivers were the ones significantly more likely to be involved in a crash of some sort, but why shouldn’t we level the playing field? (1)
Drinking and driving is said to be the primary contributor to automotive related deaths. “By law, a driver is considered to be impaired by alcohol if his or her blood alcohol content is 0.08 percent or higher” (Holzmueller). As a matter of fact, “in 2010, about 86 percent of all fatalities alcohol-involved crashes were in cases where a driver or pedestrian had a BAC of .08 or higher” (“The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010” 147). Laws and penalties have been created and applied in recent years that make it more difficult to get away with drinking and driving. If drivers are charged with alcohol-impaired driving, “they face suspension or revocation of their license” (Holzmueller).
In the year 2000, M.A.D.D. was nationally recognized for supporting the law that the legal limit of driving while intoxicated should be lowered from .10 to .08. The law was passed in 2005 by congress all throughout the United States, making the chance of an intoxicated person driving and injuring themselves or others much lower. Also, as the result of lobbying and M.A.D.D.’s efforts in changing the law, the state of California also passed a law that enhanced the penalties and fines for re-offenses of DUI charges as well as prevented minors from purchasing alcohol. Five different bills have been signed to add weight to the DUI charges, as well as prevent minors from obtaining fake ID’s by cracking down on security measures and rules in liquor stores. In the state of Rhode Island, M.A.D.D. is spreading the petition to encourage the police to enforce sobriety checkpoints. They argue that the checkpoints are a
U.S. Department of Transportation. "About Drunk Driving." MADD - About Drunk Driving. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 25 Jan. 2011. Web. 23
In the instance of drunk driving, the actions of the drunk driver are related to the safety of the drivers within their proximity and therefore affects not only the driver but others as well. Our previous moral experiences allow us to determine what the intentions of the drunk driver might be. Some drivers may choose to drive under the influence of alcohol because they have had an emergency that requires them to be at a certain place and they do not have the means to reach to their destination except for driving themselves. In this case, the context becomes complicated and intricate. However, if the driver is risking his own and other drivers’ safety, it becomes clear that their intentions are based on nonchalance and disregard for others.
From the day, the first motor vehicle was invented, the inventors did not realize that alcohol would become a problem for drivers. Although people tried taking keys away and designated drivers, fatalities involving drunk drivers continued to rise. With the advancement in technology, there had to be a way to prevent vehicles from being started if a person was under the influence of alcohol. Even though convicted drunk driving offenders already receive fines and jail time, ignition interlocks should be mandatory for all convicted drunk driving offenders because ignition interlocks reduce alcohol-related traffic crashes and ignition interlocks
Driving under the influence has affected many people's lives and families. Today I would like to talk to you about the problems of drinking and driving, and why it is a concern for all of us. Driving under the influence is one of the most common and dangerous situations you can put yourself or someone else in. The fact is that drinking and driving is a huge deal and can leave a long trail of broken dreams and hearts. If you drink and drive, not only are you putting yourself at risk, but your passengers and the pedestrians outside of your vehicle. According to the most recent statistics by the National Commission Against Drunk Driving states that 17,000 Americans die each year in alcohol- related traffic crashes and 600,000 Americans
Drunk driving is a serious problem, and much has been done in recent years to stop it. Every day drunk drivers are arrested,
Drunk driving is a serious offense that not only effects the drunk driver, but also the people around the drunk driver. Drunk driving causes serious accidents that often end with someone being seriously injured, or killed. There are many ways to prevent drunk driving from license suspension to incarceration. Another way to prevent drunk driving is to rehabilitate the drunk driver by initiating the ignition interlock device. This device is installed in a vehicle of a driving while intoxicated (DWI) offender to prevent them from driving while drunk. Society pushes for states to have harsher punishments for DWI offenders, however, a more rehabilitative stance should be taken with the ignition interlock device because it prevents DWI offenders from driving while intoxicated, it enables DWI offenders to still be able to drive to maintain their responsibilities and practice safe driving habits, and it reduces recidivism rates among DWI offenders.