Posts Tagged ‘DWI Issues’

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Can Community Supervision Strategies Curb Drunk Driving?

Posted on Jan 18, 2012

It is projected that approximately 15,000 fatalities related to drunk driving will be recorded this year in the country. This is disturbing news. Regardless of these shocking numbers, scores of citizens will still partake in the deadly practice of getting behind the wheel after having too many drinks. Some just don’t comprehend that by driving under influence they are placing their life, as well as the lives of their passengers and of other drivers and pedestrians in jeopardy. Some statistics state that 50 percent of all traffic mishaps happen because of drunk driving. That is why cities and municipalities are seeking to curb drunk driving through community supervision strategies.

How Community Supervision Curbs Drunk Driving

Community supervision curbs drunk driving by setting up promotions in opposition to DUI at the local level. In the course of these promotions, citizens are made aware of the dangers of DUI. They also spread awareness about the actions that can be taken to reduce incidences of drunk driving. An example of this is when communities promote the practice of designating a person to drive when a group goes to a party or a bar.

Communities Can Promote Individual Accountability to Curb Drunk Driving

Community supervision means people taking individual accountability for themselves and for their families, co-workers, friends and acquaintances. Community members must drive home the message that no one should drive after drinking. When someone is aware of anyone about to drive after drinking, they must make an effort to find transportation to take them home.

Community Supervision Strategies Can Endorse Stringent Regulations

Community supervision strategies work to curb drunk driving by endorsing stringent regulations at the local, state, and the federal levels. These measures include:

Jail time for offenders
Revoking of licenses
Suspension of licenses
Interlock devices
Heavy fines, etc.

Communities Can Intervene To Prevent Drunk Driving

If an individual sees some drunken person behind the wheel, he must call law enforcement agencies right away and provide them with the plate number and description of the person’s vehicle. This will help communities cope with the menace of driving under the influence of alcohol and save countless lives as well.

Helping Those in the Community Who Drink and Drive

Individuals who have an alcohol problem need to find a solution for this problem. Communities can assist such people by promoting Alcoholics Anonymous and other rehabilitation programs that care for people with drinking issues. When these citizens learn to control their problem it will decrease the odds of them driving under the influence of alcohol in the future.

Community supervision strategies can definitely curb drunk driving or at least reduce the number of incidences. This menace can be curbed with community support and recommendations.

Top 8 Reasons why People Drink & Drive

Posted on May 19, 2011

Regardless of the reasons people choose to drink and drive, it is still a very dangerous and reckless past-time activity. It is never a good idea to drink and drive. Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) is deadly. However, knowing the reasons why people drink and drive will help to keep you safe.

Drunk Driving Stats by U.S. Department of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently released a report that showed 20 percent of all drivers have driven within two hours of consuming alcohol. The Department of Transportation also reported that 8 percent of all motorists have driven drunk at least once during the year. Research showed that more than 12,500 deaths occur each year nationwide due to drinking and driving. This is a serious problem that must be stopped.

Here are the top 8 reasons why people drink and drive.

They don’t care about the dangers of drinking and driving.
They think that nothing will ever happen to them if they drive drunk.
Lack of information about the risks involved when drinking and driving.
Don’t know about the consequence of driving while impaired.
Forgot to assign a designated driver or call a taxi to take them home.
They have a drinking problem.
They underestimate the powerful effects of alcohol.
They’ve never been caught by law enforcement before, so they choose to continue the behavior.

Penalties Associated with Impaired Driving and Alcohol Abuse

Impaired drivers can face several penalties if caught and failed the field sobriety test. Some of the penalties include driver’s license suspension, vehicle impoundment, driving privileges suspension, fines, rehabilitation programs, ignition interlock installation, increased auto insurance, criminal charges and jail time.

Why People Drink and Drive?

Knowing some of the reasons why so many people choose to drink and drive is important for everyone. When you drink and drive you put your life in danger and you put the lives of others in danger as well, so if you have had too much to drink, don’t drive!

DWI, DWI Issues, Drunk Driving1 Comment »driving while intoxicated Drunken Driving DWI DWI Issues

Texting While Driving – Is this abuse leading to road accidents?

Posted on Jun 10, 2010

Texting is one of the most convenient and cheapest ways of communicating. However, this technology has brought with it some dangers as some individuals have become so addicted to texting that they even send and receive text messaging while driving. With American sending over a trillion texts each year, texting have become an embedded part of our culture. Some teenagers even admit to being addicted to text messaging and themselves send over 500 texts per day.

Effect of Texting of Stopping Distance

A recent study showed that the average braking distance for drivers reading text message increases significantly when compared to drivers that are more alert. In a recent test conducted in Florida, the results showed a reaction time while sending and receiving text messages was worse than that of a drunk driver. He posted a reaction time of .68 seconds while driving at 70 miles per hour that resulted in an extra 70 feet before stopping. The same driver then posted a reaction time of 0.04 seconds when driving unimpaired. Additional test also revealed that texting while driving is creates a risk 2.8 times higher than driving and talking on the phone. The results of this test thus solidify the theories promoted that texting while driving is dangerous and has resulted in a significant increase in rear-enders and even fatal traffic accidents.

What can be done about Texting while Driving?

Unlike talking on the phone while driving, it is more difficult for the authorities to clamp down on texting while diving. Apart from the odd event when you are actually seen texting while driving by a police officer, all efforts to control the habit have been futile. Some states such as Florida have tried to ban all cell phone activity while driving, this however have been met with stiff resistance. As a result, they gave resorted to a significant public awareness campaign that educates the driving public about the dangers of texting while driving.

Contribution of Cell Phone Manufacturers

At the higher end of the spectrum, cell phone manufacturers are offering some cell phones that come with voice activated text messaging. The problem with this is these features only come on expensive super phones that are normally out of the reach of normal nine to five workers who use the highways daily. They have not yet found a way to transfer this technology down to regular phone sets where legislators can now take action to implement voice activated texting while driving. In the future, we do hope that this happen, as it will surely result in a reduction in the number of text messaging related accidents on the streets.

Personal Responsibility about Texting while Driving

As drivers, we must take responsibility for our actions. We must be aware of the dangers of texting while driving. In addition, we must also resist the temptation of sending text messages to individuals who we think are driving at the time. TV star Oprah Winfrey recently announced on her show that she has adapted as a policy not to accept text messages while driving a car nor send text messages to drivers. The population as a whole must emulate this concept.

DWI Issues, Road Accidents1 Comment »DWI Issues Road Accidents