California Increases Sobriety Checkpoints

California’s Office of Traffic Safety, the California Highway Patrol, and other law enforcement agencies have declared 2010 as “The Year of the Checkpoint”. (Source)

The state of California is stepping up efforts to prevent drunk driving, as they usually do around this time of the year.  However, the California Office of Traffic Safety will fund more than 2,500 sobriety checkpoints in 2010, a 47 percent increase over the 1,700 conducted this year.

California is supposedly the state with the most checkpoints, but just how effective are they?

More Drunk Driving Prevention Ideas

The month of December is National Drunk Driving Prevention Month.  Over the years of writing on this blog I’ve shared my thoughts on ways to prevent drunk driving, but today I’d like to share other fellow bloggers’ thoughts about the subject:

• Learn about the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign.
• A South African insurance company has created a chauffeur service to members called Buddy@OUT.
• Posted over at the DWI Blog is a list of Drunk Driving Prevention Programs.
• What do you think?  Could random breath tests prevent drunk driving?
• The Connecticut State Police and Mohegan Tribe have stepped up DUI monitoring campaigns.

What are your thoughts or ideas for drunk driving prevention? 

 

My two favorite ideas to prevent drunk driving are installing breathalyzers in all vehicles and public service announcements.  

 

Speaking of PSA’s, here’s one that tells us how a DUI can make a financial impact…

If you’ve been charged with a DUI in San Diego, make sure to hire an experienced lawyer.

Can We Rely on SCRAM Devices to Help Prevent Drunk Driving?

In some places like New York City, repeat DUI offenders are required to wear ankle bracelets that signal to an officer if the offender has had a drink.  On the surface, this method of preventing drunk driving seems like a good idea, but many people feel that it is unconstitutional.

These ankle bracelets, otherwise known as SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring), are devices that detect alcohol in a person‘s perspiration.  The device sends information via a modem to a central computer.  At any given moment, a probation officer can log into the computer and check to see if the person wearing the SCRAM bracelet has been drinking.  The officer can find out the exact time of day the offender started drinking, their blood alcohol level, and when their body has expelled all the alcohol.

Although the SCRAM device is a step in the right direction in terms of finding ways to keep drunk drivers off the road, we have to keep in mind that a device like this doesn’t come without issues.

Is it safe to rely on technology to determine a person’s innocence or guilt?  There have been many issues with the breathalyzer device – who’s to say that the SCRAM is any different?  These devices will cost money to maintain – will the government commit to making sure these machines will actually work 100% of the time?  What if there was a glitch in the system?

You won’t have to worry about going through this if you commit to making a change after being charged once for a DUI.  Get help from a San Diego DUI lawyer now…