Despite tougher laws on drinking and driving, thousands of alcohol-related fatalities occur each year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that approximately 1/3 of all traffic fatalities involve one or more parties who were under the influence of alcohol. Many of these accidents are caused by hard-core drunk drivers. Hardcore drunk drivers are those who have previously been arrested for DUI or who operate while having a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher.
The Century Council estimates that drunk drivers will operate under the influence anywhere from 50 to 100 times before an initial arrest. This fact can be especially dangerous when dealing with drunk driving offenders, because drivers with high BAC levels are more likely to be involved in an automobile accident. In 2010, 60% of all highway fatalities involved a driver whose blood alcohol content was greater than .15.
Hardcore drunk drivers tend to share a few common characteristics. Most have a history of alcohol abuse, and more than half also have a substance abuse problem. Over 2/3 of all these drivers have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Many are divorced or legally separated from their spouse. Most of them are able to hold down full-time employment, and this is attributed to the fact that they function well even after consuming large amounts of alcohol. They often do not stagger or have slurred speech, so their intoxication is sometimes undetectable by those around them.
The fact that drunk driving offenders can function in this manner contributes to their willingness to drive while under the influence. Since these individuals feel they are in control of their motor skills, they tend to take risks that others would be unwilling to attempt. Tougher sanctions against drinking and driving do not deter hardcore drunk drivers because they feel they are invincible. There does seem to be one thing that does deter them, and that is the risk of getting caught.
In recent years, law enforcement agencies throughout the country have implemented a variety of programs to help catch drunk drivers so they can be taken off the roadways. Sobriety checkpoints are hailed as an ideal way to detect hardcore drunk drivers because each driver is stopped and tested. Checkpoints such as these are most effective when they are highly publicized because it creates a fear of being arrested. Even so, they are normally only effective for the short amount of time they are implemented.
One long-term method of deterrence is saturation patrols. These consist of teams of officers that patrol certain roadways in an attempt to spot people who are drinking and driving. As with sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols are more effective when they are highly publicized. These patrols may have longer-lasting effects since they tend to occur on an ongoing basis.
Drunk drivers pose a hazard to all who travel our highways, and this risk is even higher when hardcore drunk drivers get behind the wheel. Early detection and intervention is the most effective way to reduce the instances of hard-core drunk driving and increase public safety.
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