Drunk driving is one of the main causes of traffic accidents in the US each year. In a three-year study that concluded in 2021, the CDC found that in 54% of car accidents that led to a trip to the hospital, drivers tested positive for alcohol or drugs.

Many of these accidents led to the injury or death of someone besides the person who chose to drive drunk.

The epidemic of intoxicated driving has to be controlled more effectively, and many states in the US are taking action to reduce the number of DUI accidents each year. Hopefully, these changes will save lives and increase awareness of the potentially severe penalties for drunk driving.

If you have been harmed in an accident caused by a drunk driver, you need to seek skilled legal representation right away. The Carson City auto accident attorneys at Kilpatrick Bullentini can help you seek the compensation that you deserve after a DUI-related accident. Getting the compensation necessary to pay your medical bills and compensate you for your losses is critical to recovering from this kind of accident.

Strategies to Prevent DUI Accidents

The CDC indicates that some specific strategies to reduce the number of DUI accidents each year are as follows:

1. Lower Blood Alcohol Concentration Limits

All states in the US can select the legal BAC limit. This means that different levels of BAC are tolerated across the country. In Nevada, the legal BAC is 0.8. There are states with zero-tolerance laws and states that allow a BAC as low as 0.1.

Lowering the BAC limits around the US will help control the number of DUI accidents each year. Since DUI laws cause increasingly severe penalties to come to bear on repeat offenders, it would take significantly less time to take away driver’s licenses from those who consistently drive drunk.

These kinds of no-tolerance or reduced tolerance laws help to discourage getting behind the wheel drunk, and they also help to remind people who have a glass of wine or a drink with dinner that they should have a designated driver take them home.

2. Increase Penalties for Drunk Driving

Increasing the penalties for drunk driving can have a big impact on the number of DUI car accidents each year. When those who have had a drink are aware that they might lose their driver’s license after just a single infraction, for example, they will be much less likely to drive drunk. Holding people accountable for their actions via legal penalties can greatly impact behavior like driving drunk.

It can be very difficult to get a job if you do not have a driver’s license, and it can be hard to be cleared to use credit for purchases if you have a long history of DUI-related offenses. Having a DUI-related felony on your record can lead to lasting legal limitations and trouble with housing, job security, and more.

3. Sobriety Checkpoints

Sobriety checkpoints are often highly effective, as they are random. Police at these checkpoints will briefly stop vehicles passing through, and they have the right to select drivers who might be intoxicated for additional sobriety testing. These checkpoints are often moved around from week to week, making it much harder for those who are driving drunk to avoid detection.

4. Saturation Patrols

Saturation patrols of police in areas where alcohol is sold can also help to remind people not to get behind the wheel drunk. Those who have been drinking typically show reduced ability to make decisions, but seeing a police officer or a police car can remind them that they need to sober up before they drive.

It is common to have multiple officers on patrol in areas that have been linked with impaired driving, and many cities in the US employ this tactic to help reduce the incidence of these kinds of tickets and arrests.

5. Ignition Interlocks

Many DUI programs require that those who have been arrested for driving drunk submit to having an ignition interlock placed in their car. This interlock will not allow them to drive the vehicle if they have been drinking. This is a very effective way to encourage offenders to avoid future DUI arrests, and it also helps to discourage other drivers from engaging in risky behavior.

These interlocks are usually removed when the person who was charged with DUI has completed a sobriety course and a set period of probation.

6. School-Based Training

Exposing young students to the idea that drunk driving is dangerous is often a very good deterrent for risky behavior later in life. Children can be educated about the penalties and consequences associated with drunk driving from an early age so that they don’t engage in drinking and driving when they are legally allowed to drink.

Education of adults is also often necessary, and employers can offer DUI-related training to their adult employees to help reaffirm the information that children are now taught in schools. Since alcohol impairs your judgment, it is important to ensure that people do not ever consider driving drunk to be a reasonable activity before imbibing.

Prevention is More Powerful Than Punishment

Preventing DUI accidents is always far more effective than holding those who have caused property damage and loss of life accountable for their actions. While punishments and accountability are key aspects of discouraging drunk driving, preventing drunk people from getting behind the wheel is always the first and most important goal of lawmakers. Driving drunk is driving dangerous, and these deterrents help to control the number of DUI-related accidents each year.

If you have been harmed by someone who was driving drunk, you need to make sure to secure a skilled and experienced Carson City auto accident attorney right away. The team at Kilpatrick Bullentini can help you seek the compensation you deserve to get back on your feet after your injuries.