Drunk driving is an ongoing issue and various organizations have tried to reduce drunk driving incidences by implementing various initiatives to help solve the problem. Currently the penalties for drunk driving include fees, jail sentences, mandatory DUI classes, and driver’s license suspensions. Recently, however, technology has been introduced such as the ignition interlock device (IID). It is being used by some courts throughout the U.S. The question remains, though: Is the IID helping to solve this drunk driving issue? Do these devices indeed reduce the risk of DUIs in repeat drunk drivers?
The ignition interlock device is installed in the car and if the DUI offender has to drive anywhere, he/she provides a breath sample by blowing into the device. The car will not start if the IID detects alcohol on the breath.
IIDs have been around since the 1960s and researchers have been studying them ever since. However, it wasn’t until the last 20 years that IIDs have been used by the courts. California was the very first state to enact legislation that gave permission to judges to make it mandatory that DUI offenders install IIDs in their vehicles. California was also the first state in which the ignition interlock program was evaluated.
In September 2005 the California DMV created a series of studies centered around the ignition interlock device. These studies are periodically published in a report and are available to the public. What researchers found out is that IIDs have the potential to be effective in reducing drunk driving incidences. That’s all good and well, but judges in California were not consistent in ordering drunk driving offenders to install an IID. Technically, the IID is effective, but it’s the actual program that is not consistent and therefore, not effective.
Here’s a news clip about ignition interlock devices…
A 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday night after smashing his car into a taco shop on the corner of College Avenue and Montezuma Road. The driver had two passengers in the car with him and was allegedly traveling at about 100 mph before he crashed. This happened around 2 o’ clock in the morning. There were no fatalities, but all passengers suffered injuries. Let’s hope that the driver learned his lesson! (Source)
Another drunk driving accident that happened this past Tuesday night has left two people dead and the driver, Shannon Kelly Shimp, is now behind bars with bail set at $200,600. The accident occurred in Ramona along State Route 78. Shimp was driving a flatbed truck that landed on top of a Lexus. The driver of the Lexus, 19-year-old Ian Kinney, passed away at the scene. Kinney’s father spoke out about the accident and hopes that Shimp “suffers as much as I suffer, and his family suffers and his mother suffers”. (Source)
We don’t like to read bad news like this, but I share them with you in hopes that you learn from these people’s mistakes!
If you need help with your DUI in San Diego, make sure to hire a San Diego DUI lawyer who understands what you’re going through!
Just when I thought there wasn’t enough being done about keeping famous athletes and celebrities from drunk driving, I come across this article about Safe Ride Solutions, a San Diego based DUI-prevention service that caters to professional athletes nationwide. The service is currently available in more than a dozen cities where clients pay anywhere from $200 – $300 to be chauffeured around all night. A simple pick-up service is also available.
Safe Ride Solutions was masterminded by Gary Lawrence, a San Diego police detective. When Lawrence heard about the Steve Foley incident, he realized that something needed to be done.
Right now there are 9 NFL teams using the service with the San Diego Chargers as the biggest client – of course! However, Hollywood actors and business executives have also signed up for the service. Annual membership costs $100 per person. It’s certainly a small price to pay to be safe on the road!
Turn on the news nowadays and you’re likely to hear a story about a drunk driving incident. Lawmakers and organizations have tried to come up with ideas to fight this growing issue, but it seems as if there hasn’t been any improvement. Non-profit organizations like M.A.D.D. have tried to educate the public about the consequences of drinking and driving and yet the problem continues. Is there indeed a way to stop the problem?
Most people who drink and drive don’t think that they’re drunk when they get in the car. The mentality is, “Oh, I’ve only had a drink or two”, but in reality they’ve had three or four drinks. Then there are people who think nothing could ever happen to them, so drink and drive without any thought or awareness of the consequences.
A psychologist will tell you that in order to change people’s behavior, people should be given some kind of positive reinforcement for good behavior. So based on this idea of rewarding good behavior, we could guess that perhaps the way to end drunk driving is to give drunk driving repeat offenders incentives for not drinking and driving. Instead of repeatedly punishing them – which doesn’t seem to be working right now – perhaps positive reinforcement will help.
It is possible to end the drunk driving problem in the U.S. or at least decrease the amount of incidences? All it takes is a little commitment from law makers and consistency in implementing rules and policies.
Isn’t it interesting that even though we are aware of the serious consequences of drunk driving, many people still do it? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2006 there were 13,470 drunk driving related deaths. Law enforcement is supposedly doing all that it can to help alleviate the problem and yet drunk driving still continues. In the U.S. it seems as if drunk driving is no big deal.
In the U.S. a night out drinking and having fun with friends is what many people do to alleviate stress and celebrate the weekends. Many restaurants have “Happy Hour” and offer discounts on drinks to lure you into their establishment. It’s a normal scenario. A couple hours later and after one too many drinks, people start to lose sight of what’s right and wrong. They think they’re ok to drive home. There are nights when people drink and drive and somehow make it home safely. The next time they go out to drink, perhaps they believe that everything will be ok once again. However, this time they get into a major accident because of their carelessness. Another driver is seriously injured or was killed. It’s a situation that’s all too familiar for many people.
What many people don’t think about is that drinking and driving doesn’t just affect the people who are immediately involved in the accident, it affects all the family and friends of the victims.
The consequences of a drunk driving conviction include a driver’s license suspension, jail time, plus the embarrassment of having to go to court. In the long-run a drunk driving conviction could cause an increase in insurance premiums, problems getting a job, not to mention the trauma and heartache for everyone involved.
Despite the knowledge of all these consequences, there are many people who still think drinking and driving isn’t a big deal. It’s this type of attitude that contributes to the problem.
If you need help with a San Diego DUI, make sure to hire a San Diego DUI lawyer who is experienced and is aware of all the current DUI laws and procedures.
