What Are Some Solutions to Drunk Driving?
There are many ways that society can prevent drunk driving and the results are varied. Among these are policies that make alcohol less accessible, laws that make it illegal to drive while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, sobriety checkpoints, and education campaigns.
(Looking for a Car Accident Lawyer? Contact us Today! Click here: lawyer truck car accidents)
The best way to combat drunk driving is to educate people about the dangers of drunken driving and to encourage them to prevent it from occurring in the first place. This is an important part of the prevention process because it can help to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries in crashes involving drunk drivers.
Educational programs that use the mass media and local organizations can be effective in getting people to change their attitudes toward drinking. However, they are not likely to be effective in preventing drunk driving unless they are integrated with other prevention strategies, such as enforcement of the law.
Lowering the BAC limit
One of the most effective ways to prevent drunk driving is by lowering the legal blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) limits that determine when a person has been drinking too much and should not drive. In countries such as Austria, Denmark, and Japan that have lowered the BAC limits, drunk driving deaths have been significantly reduced.
Low BAC levels should be enforced by law and penalties for drunk drivers must be harsh. This is because drivers who reach a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 have a much higher risk of causing a crash than drivers with a lower BAC.
Sobriety checkpoints
Police often set up sobriety checkpoints on highways or other high-traveled roads to help catch impaired drivers. These checkpoints are staffed by police officers who may stop any driver and ask them to submit to a breath test. This is a cost-effective strategy that has saved tens of thousands of lives across the United States.
Other strategies to prevent drunk driving include zero-tolerance laws that make it illegal for anyone under 21 to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their system. These laws have been very successful in reducing the number of deaths caused by drunk driving and have a positive impact on all aspects of traffic safety.
Designating a sober friend or family member to be the designated driver for a group is the most effective solution when it comes to ensuring that everyone gets home safely from a night out. The designated driver will know to avoid getting too drunk and will be able to coordinate transportation services such as taxis or ride-share apps such as Uber or Lyft with the rest of the group.
Hide the car keys
If you have a friend who regularly drinks and drives, it is important to hide their car keys from them. This can be done by hiding their car in a garage or storing it in an out-of-the-way location such as behind the house.
Be calm and as non-confrontational as possible when trying to get your friends or family members to understand the risks of drinking and driving. This is especially important if your friend or family member has been drinking and driving for a long time.