Responding to news that recently immigrant rights group have interrupted Los Angeles Police Department sobriety checkpoints, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) expressed strong support of sobriety checkpoints and law enforcement's efforts to stop drunk driving and lower the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries though the use of sobriety checkpoints.
Checkpoints target the general population...anyone driving. If someone is driving impaired, law enforcement will test them and enforce the law. If someone is not driving impaired and has not broken any laws, their stop will be minimal and they will be on their way. Sobriety checkpoints help stop drunk drivers who would likely remain under the radar. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes to society is over $130 billion.
MADD strongly supports high visibility enforcement and especially sobriety checkpoints as they have proven to have a lifesaving impact on deterring drunk driving. However, an alcohol-related traffic crash still claims a life every half-hour, on average and injury every minute. Sobriety checkpoints are a technique where law enforcement officials evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment at specific points on the roadway.
Twenty-seven states now impound vehicles for a variety of offenses, such as driving with expired license plates, driving without a license and driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. Although most drivers in fatal crashes hold a valid license (89 percent in 1998; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1999), those who have been drinking are much more likely to be unlicensed, or driving on suspended or revoked licenses.
Sobriety checkpoints are a valuable tool for law enforcement. Usually, only one arrest is made for every 88 instances of driving over the legal limit. Sobriety checkpoints can help law enforcement find and charge those endangering public safety. As a result, people who drink are afraid to drive because enhanced enforcement increases one's fear of being arrested. In a comprehensive study, the Centers for Disease Control found that when well-publicized sobriety checkpoints were run, alcohol-related crashes and fatalities decreased by more than 20%. They looked at a mix of cities, counties, and states in both urban and rural areas and found conclusively that sobriety checkpoints work in reducing alcohol-related fatalities, and they only take a couple of minutes for law-abiding people. The bottom line is that sobriety checkpoints save lives and prevent injuries.
The cure for saving lives and preventing injuries from DUI driving exists already starting with your car; plan to drive sober, don't violate the law that protects everyone and use a designated driver or taxi. If plan to drink and drive, you also plan to violate the law can expect consequences.
The publicity from checkpoints reminds people who drink that drinking and driving don't mix. Research shows that for every dollar invested in checkpoints, communities save between $6 and $23 in costs from alcohol-related crashes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes to society is over $100 billion.
Tina Pasco, Affiliate Executive DirectorMADD Los Angeles - Ventura Counties(310) 350-5556 cell
