Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Times Square Tragedy is a Painful Reminder: DUIs Kill More Than Terrorism

On Thursday, May 18, a car drove through a crowd in Times Square, killing a teenager and injuring dozens more. While the breaking news immediately reminded many Americans of recent car-ramming terrorist attacks, the New York Police Department says the suspect was intoxicated, and so far no connection to terrorism has been discovered.

The New York Police Department also says that the driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas, has a history of drunk driving.

And while many Americans live in fear of terrorism attacks, drunk drivers actually kill far more Americans each year.

Drunk Drivers Kill Almost 10,000 People Every Year

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Every day, 28 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 53 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.”

Alcohol is actually the number one most abused drug in the U.S. today, both in terms of total consumption and total consequences. In fact, experts believe that people drive drunk almost 300,000 times every day, even though there are fewer than 4,000 daily DUI arrests on average. In total, up to 1.5 million people are arrested annually for this lethal crime.

While these statistics should be sobering, they actually reveal a massive public health success. Thanks to improved enforcement and awareness around drunk driving over the past three decades, the number of DUI victims has fallen sharply and steadily. Since the 1980s, deaths from DUI accidents have dropped by 51%.

The War on Drunk Driving: How Are U.S. States Stopping Drunk Drivers?

This May, Nevada became the latest state to mandate the use of ignition interlock devices for DUI offenders. These life-saving devices force drivers to pass a breathalyzer test before starting their car.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Nevada senate approved Senate Bill 259, which will require drivers with DUI convictions to use the interlock technology. Drivers will breathe into the device, and if it detects a high BAC level, it locks the ignition.

Sen. Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, claims the ignition interlock devices have prevented over 2 million drunk driving attempts around the country.

“I can’t imagine how many lives that has saved,” Manendo told lawmakers at the bill’s hearing with the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

The bill would also enable those who have been convicted of DUI to install such devices and drive while their license is revoked. But there’s a caveat — if the device is used, the license revocation period increases from 90 days to 185 days.

Driver’s licenses would receive a mark that indicates that the driver is legally required to drive a vehicle that is equipped with an ignition interlock device.

Chelsea Capurro, a lobbyist with the Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers, said: “We think this is a great way for people to get their life back in order and continue driving safely.”

The device costs $70 per month for drivers, but installation is free.

Some skeptics fear that those with DUI convictions may find a way to fool the device and drive anyway. While the average vehicle will have three owners in its lifetime, it’s not uncommon for people to drive the vehicles of others, and skeptics remain convinced that those who want to drive drunk will always find a way.

Regardless, the bill is meant to minimize the number of drunk drivers on the road. All drivers should still exhibit caution, however, because distracted driving is another major cause of accidents — in fact, one in four accidents are due to cell phones. In due time, maybe a device will be invented to limit distracted driving as well.

Ultimately, Manendo highly supports the bill and feels confident that it will make the roads safer for all drivers.

“Make no mistake, this is a lifesaving measure,” said Manendo.

 

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