Drunk driving and driving under the influence is a serious epidemic in the United States. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that “32 people in the United States are killed every day in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver—this is one death every 45 minutes.”
In 2020 alone, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. In Massachusetts, our statistics are a little less alarming with numbers that show drunk driving deaths across all ages at 1.7 per 100,000 people as compared to 3.2 nationally. Additionally, Massachusetts residents ages 21-34 involved in fatal crashes due to drunk driving stand at 3.5 compared to 6.2 nationally. (Source: Spring Hill Recovery Center)
While these numbers are alarming, there are relevant strategies and dedicated efforts toward curbing these alcohol-related deaths and injuries. This month, the Law Office of Patrick Conway will be focusing on the epidemic of driving under the influence including educating the public on the current numbers, discussing legal terminology associated with driving while intoxicated (DWI) and driving under the influence (DUI), as well as what to expect should you get pulled over and face a Field Sobriety Test.
The Impact of Drugs & Alcohol on Driving
Most of us understand the way that drugs and/or alcohol impair our ability to drive. But let’s have a quick reminder about how alcohol and drugs can impair thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination. These are all essential to safely operating a vehicle.
As a person’s alcohol level increases inside the body, so do the negative impacts on the central nervous system. As the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and small intestines, it makes its way into a person’s bloodstream until it can be metabolized by the liver. A person’s alcohol level is measured by how much is in the bloodstream. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. In Massachusetts, driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal.
However, studies have shown that even a small amount of alcohol can impact a person’s ability to drive, react, and stay alert to the traffic around them.
Strategies To Reduce Impaired Driving
In response to the staggering numbers of people (estimated to be in the millions) who drive under the influence, law enforcement uses several strategies to reduce the crashes, fatalities and injuries across the state. Here are some that you may encounter.
Sobriety Checkpoints
Often used on weekends and holidays, sobriety checkpoints allow police to briefly stop vehicles at specific, highly visible locations to check drivers for impairment. They are often highly publicized to have the highest impact.
School-Based Instructional Programs
Programs in both schools and driver education courses educate students and young drivers on the dangers of driving impaired or getting in a car with someone who is impaired.
Ignition Interlocks for First-Time Offenders
The CDC reports that Interlocks can be “installed in vehicles to measure alcohol on drivers’ breath. Interlocks keep vehicles from starting if drivers have a BAC above a certain level, usually 0.02%. Interlocks are highly effective at preventing repeat offenses while installed.”
Strict Alcohol-Impaired Laws
A great strategy for deterring drunk driving and impaired driving is the consequence of the law. These laws include setting the drinking age at 21 as well as laws that make it illegal to drive with a BAC at or above a specified level (0.05% or 0.08%, depending on the state). For people under 21, zero-tolerance laws make it illegal to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their systems.
Continue reading this month’s blogs and learn more about the impacts of drunk driving, the legal terminology often used in these cases, and what to expect if you are pulled over and subjected to a Field Sobriety Test.