RATING THE STATES’ DRUNK DRIVING EFFORTS To celebrate five years of Campaign progress while advocating for stronger legislation to fight drunk driving, MADD has compiled a national progress report. The report uses a five-star system to rates states on their implementation of proven drunk driving counter- measures. It’s important to note that not all stars are equal. While all of these are valuable DUI countermeasures that states should adopt, we know that ignition interlocks and sobriety checkpoints are the two most effective ways to dramatically reduce fatalities and injuries. Each star that a state earns represents passage of a particular law or participation in one of the following drunk driving countermeasures:
Conducting Sobriety Checkpoints Sobriety checkpoints are proven to reduce DUI fatalities by an average of 20 percent by acting as a general deter- rent to drinking and driving. They are also cost-effective, reducing drunk driving expenses by at least six dollars for every dollar invested. Requiring Ignition Interlocks for all Drunk Driving Offenders More than 15 peer-reviewed studies recommend requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted DUI offenders. This year the Centers for Disease Control recommended every state pass an all-offender ignition interlock law. New Mexico and Arizona have reduced DUI fatalities by 36 and 46 percent, respectively, through the adoption of this lifesaving law. Enhancing Penalties for DUI Child Endangerment DUI child endangerment is an issue everyone should agree on. Sadly, there are too many stories like that of Leandra Rosado, where an adult chooses to drive drunk with a child or children in the vehicle. Enhanced penalties, such as making this crime a felony, are important ways to make adults think twice before acting so irresponsibly. Participating in No-refusal Events Offenders who refuse to submit to BAC testing present a significant challenge to law enforcement and the courts. Driving is a privilege, not a right. No-refusal weekends have proven successful in reducing the number of offenders who refuse BAC testing. No-refusal stars are given to states with a 10 percent or lower refusal rating or for those states that participate in no-refusal or warrant initiatives. Utilizing Administrative License Revocation Administrative License Revocation (ALR) has been around for some time. The concept is swift punishment for drunk driving through the immediate confiscation of an offender’s driver’s license by the arresting officer. During sobriety checkpoints, ALR must be heavily publicized in order to deter potential drunk driving offenders. Studies show that ALR reduces DUI fatalities by as much as nine percent.
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