Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol continues to be a major problem in the United States. A recent study revealed approximately 159 million self-reported episodes of drug driving annually in the US. Perhaps this high number can be partially explained by the fact that alcohol reduces a person’s ability to tell whether they are sober enough to get behind the wheel. Another factor involves the game of chance; California has some pretty lenient DUI laws and, when combined with the relatively small chance of begin pulled over (less than 1%), the threat of a incurring a DUI is incredibly small.
The solution to the DUI problem is two-fold. First, chronic alcoholics need to enter addiction treatment centers for a lengthy stay, and insurance companies need to pay for it. Reduce the number of alcoholics with licenses, and you reduce the number of DUIs. Second, penalties for DUI need to be enhanced. Probation, community service, alcohol school, and scared-straight programs are not scary enough to stop people from driving drunk. States are slowly instituting novel ideas such as the ignition interlock device (IID), which prevents a car from starting if the driver blows over a 0.0 on the installed breathalyzer (some models even require the driver to continue testing during the trip to prevent them from gaming the system). In California, first time offenders in counties such as Los Angeles will need to purchase a device prior to reinstatement of the driver’s license. Statewide, anything other than a first offense will require an IID. These drunk driving laws are new for 2010 and long overdue.
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