LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE FRONT LINE SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS AND ALR:
Sobriety checkpoints remain the primary method through which law enforcement protects the public from drunk drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sobriety checkpoints reduce impaired driving fa- talities by 20 percent. The idea is to generate media, whether paid or earned, to draw attention to the checkpoint and discourage drunk drivers from ever getting behind the wheel. In fact, a checkpoint that catches no drunk drivers is successful because the deterrent effect worked. MADD, through our local and state offices, works to encourage local law enforcement agencies to conduct these important checkpoints. NHTSA now conducts two drunk driving paid- ad “crackdowns” per year, one around the Labor Day holiday and the other during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. This past Labor Day marked the introduction of a new slogan: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Thirty-eight states currently conduct sobriety checkpoints. The other 12 conduct saturation patrols. MADD calls on every state to conduct these lifesaving checkpoints and calls on Congress to continue its support for high-visibility enforcement campaigns in the next highway reauthorization bill. In addition to sobriety checkpoints, law enforcement and driver licensing authorities can immediately revoke driving privileges of suspected DUI * offenders upon arrest. This countermeasure, known as Administrative License Revocation (ALR) has demonstrated success in reducing fatal crashes by nine percent. It’s important that every state make use of ALR laws to protect the public from drunk drivers by deterring people from committing the crime.
* DUI refers to Driving Under the Influence, also known in some states as OUI (Operating Under the Influence) or DWI (Driving While Intoxicated.)
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