Drunk Driving
Drunk driving continues to plague modern societies. In the United States there has been some success in lowering drunk driving fatality rates, but not at the rate lawmakers and advocates such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other organizations hope to one day see. Sobriety checkpoints are one method of deterrence against drunk driving, but many experts say the problem is not with social drinkers but with alcoholic or binge drinkers. Without successfully treating the addiction, it is likely alcoholic and binge drinkers will continue to take the risk of getting behind the wheel.
Posted under Alcoholism
New Way To Curb Hard Core Drunk Drivers: Alcohol Anklets
Ignition interlock systems, adopted by many states to help reduce the incidence of drunk driving crashes and injuries by preventing drinking drivers from driving have done a fairly good job. But they’re not fool-proof. Now, there’s a new way to curb the most dangerous offenders, hard core drunk drivers (HCDDs) from getting behind the wheel and taking off: alcohol anklets. Continue Reading
Posted under Young Adults
The Dangers of Texting While Driving
Added to your own empirical data from when you yourself have tried to manage the tiny phone and keyboard while driving are two recent driving tests seeking to put some hard numbers to the habit of texting and driving. One test was conducted in Great Britain and the other test was conducted in Michigan by Car and Driver. Both tests came up with the same result: Drivers who text are more likely to cause an accident. Continue Reading
Posted under Drunk Driving
Substance Use Associated with Four Types of Fatal Accidents
The use of drugs and alcohol can impair individuals in many ways. Slow response time and a relaxation of inhibitions are two effects of alcohol and some drugs that can significantly contribute to impairment when it comes to driving a motor vehicle. Many accidents are attributable to drugs and alcohol, but it is sometimes difficult to quantify the true impact of drug and alcohol use. Continue Reading
Posted under Public Policy
Use of Technology in DUI Proceedings
Just after midnight on May 6, 2006, an SUV driven by George Xinos struck and killed a pedestrian who was crossing the Almaden Expressway. Shortly after the crash, a police officer responded to a call from a nearby homeowner, complaining that a suspicious car was parked out front. When the officer arrived, he noticed that the car had body damage and was covered in blood and other bodily fluids. He encountered Xinos in a nearby doorway.
Posted under Addiction & Society
Drivers Have Poor Judgment When It Comes to Their Sobriety after Drinking
A new study finds that the perception of feeling sober after drinking alcohol may be entirely subjective. Researchers have studied how cognitive functions are affected during the rising and falling blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of an intoxicated state and compared these BAC levels against self-perceived levels of sobriety. The subjective feeling of sobriety is premature in comparison to a drinker’s reasoning and problem-solving abilities’ recovery from impairment.
Posted under Drunk Driving
First-Time DUI Offenders Must Install Ignition Interlock Systems, According to New York Law
As of August 15th, Leandra’s Law will be in full effect in New York, including mandatory installation of ignition interlock systems for all drunk-driving offenders. Leandra’s Law was put into motion after Leandra Rosado, an 11-year-old girl, was killed when her friend’s mother, Carmen Huertas, flipped the car over while driving drunk. Six other children were also injured during the accident.
Posted under New York
New York DUI and Drug Diversion Legal News
New York Gets Tough on People who Let People Drive Drunk
Posted under Drunk Driving
Sobriety Checks Versus Saturation Patrol: Which Method Saves More Lives?
Driving under the influence (DUI) continues to be a problem throughout society within the United States, despite increased awareness, penalties, and traffic stops. To Try and contain the problem on U.S. roadways, law enforcement has typical two methods: sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.
Posted under Addiction & Society
What Works for Deterring DUIs?
Driving while intoxicated remains a primary cause of death and injury in the U.S. – and the threat of getting caught and punished by jail time or fines just isn’t enough to stop people from engaging in drunk driving.
A 2006 University of Florida study shows no pattern between stricter DUI consequences and a reduced rate of DUI arrests. Highway statistics continue to reflect the discouraging trend: in 2005, 16,000 people died from car accidents related to alcohol and more than 1.4 million drivers were arrested for being under the influence. The study could prompt more research into why people drive drunk, and which legal policies are actually effective at reducing the behavior.
While the threat of jail or fines do not seem to be strong deterrents, measures including increasing the drinking age, revoking licenses for offenders and more sobriety checkpoints are linked to a reduced number of alcohol-related arrests and fatalities.
Researchers suggest the disregard toward the threat of arrest, fines or jail time stems from widely varying legal consequences for drunk driving; a lengthy time frame for sentencing; and the fact that most people who engage in the behavior have done it many times before getting arrested. Enhanced alcohol education across the school spectrum is also recommended as a possible solution, but more research is called for to determine why people continue to drive under the influence.
The study analyzed 26 years of data and compared fines and jail sentences for drunken driving across the nation with the number of arrests for DUIs and fatal car crashes related to alcohol. Forty-eight states were included in the study. While several had minimum jail terms for drunk driving and mandatory fines for it, many states punish drunk driving similarly to underage drinking – a finding especially concerning toward college students. While students may realize drunk drinking is a more serious offense than underage drinking, they may be less deterred from the behavior if punishments remain similar to other seemingly “lesser” alcohol offenses.
Study leaders suggest these legal inconsistencies may generate a certain psychology toward drunk driving and repeatedly getting away with it. On average, people arrested for driving under the influence had done so previously from 50-200 times. Having friends that drink, and the impaired sense of reason related to drinking, are also listed as factors in the trend.
Posted under New Jersey
New Jersey DUI Offenders in for a Rude Awakening in 2010
New Jersey has historically been an early adopter of enhanced public safety regulations that eventually become commonplace throughout the nation. In addition to being one of the first states to require the use of seatbelts in passenger vehicles, New Jersey prohibited handheld cell phone use while driving, way back in 2003.
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