More than 31 percent of traffic fatalities in the US were caused by driving under the influence in 2008, according to a DUI statistics conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). With this finding, researchers estimated that 20,500 Americans were killed by DUI drivers last year.
In view of the magnitude of this problem, the federal, state, and local governments have passed several laws and implemented campaigns to reduce DUI-related accidents and keep drunk drivers off the road.
* Designated Driver Programs
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging people to designate a driver who will not drink alcohol or at least someone who will maintain a blood alcohol content (BAC) level that is under the legal limit of 0.8 percent.
Some business establishments that serve alcohol are also known to promote this program by giving incentives to customers such as free non-alcoholic drinks and meal or free admission to designated drivers.
According to several studies, 0.09 percent of designated drivers have been enticed with this program. While this number may not appear significant, experts believe that the result of the program is already promising given the fact that only few business establishments support this campaign.
* Sobriety Checkpoints
Safety experts believe that sobriety checkpoints are the most effective way to keep drunk drivers off the road.
These checkpoints are traffic stops where police officers can systematically select drivers and test their BAC level. However, officers should have a valid reason to suspect a driver of DUI offense before they can conduct a BAC test.
Meanwhile, there are two types of sobriety: the selective breath testing (SBT) and the random breath testing (RBT).
In the US, officers only follow SBT which means they cannot test a driver without having a valid reason to do so. On the other hand, RBT, which is followed by several European countries, gives officers the right to test anyones BAC level without a valid reason.
* Zero Tolerance Law
Some states, including California, follow the Zero Tolerance law that prohibits people under DUI probation to drive with a BAC level of 0.1 percent and higher. Violating this law also has stiffer penalties such as imprisonment, higher fines, and up to three-year suspension of drivers license.
* Ignition Interlock Device (IID)
This is a special car device that prevents drivers with DUI probation to start their vehicles if it detects that their breath has a BAC level that is more than the legal limit.
This law which has been enacted in California just last July 1, 2009, that requires drivers with several DUI offenses to install IID for up to three years, depending on the court decision. (Drivers are required to pay for this device.)
* Mass Media Campaigns According to a recent study, mass media campaigns are effective in preventing DUI accidents as long as these are well executed, adequately exposed to the general public, and implemented in conjunction with other DUI prevention campaigns.
CCAA is composed of expert attorneys and skilled litigators from Los Angeles and southern California who specialize in handling car accident cases and issues involving recovery of damages and injury claims, including wrongful death claims.