Preventing DUI-Related Driving Fatalities

Preventing DUI-Related Driving Fatalities

Every year, more than 10,000 fatalities result from individuals making the unfortunate decision to get behind the wheel while under the influence (NHTSA). Despite the obvious dangers of coupling alcohol and driving, why do so many continue to make the decision to drive while intoxicated?

In a 2015 study by Alonso et al., nearly 25% of the 1,100 randomly selected drivers admitted to driving under the influence because of a lack of alternate transportation, 16% claimed that they had done so intentionally, and 13% asserted that alcohol did not impact their ability to drive. A 2017 Cheapest Car Insurance^® survey of 1,000 randomly selected U.S. drivers found that, of those who admitted to driving while intoxicated, 74% did so because they insisted that they were capable, 51% stated that they had no alternate mode of transportation, 46% thought that they would not get caught, and 37% said they did so because they had done it before. Lastly, a 2019 study conducted by American Addiction Centers (AAC) found that 30% of surveyed individuals who admitted to driving while intoxicated stated that they felt safe doing so, 10% identified only having to drive a short distance, and 4% claimed a lack of alternate transportation.

Though far from unanimous, a lack of alternate transportation, confidence that they were capable of driving while under the influence, and having done so before were among the most cited answers. Using some of these most popular reasonings, we can come to some potential solutions. In the first place, I propose that bars and restaurants hire their own Uber-like services. AAC respondents reported that they were 75% less likely to drive under the influence if a service such as Rideshare^® or Uber^® had been available to them. If these types of services were more available to bar-goers, this statistic argues that more people under the influence of alcohol would take advantage and avoid driving while intoxicated. A second potential solution is an increase in the amount of the fine. Alonso et al. (2015) found that, of drivers that had received a DUI, 92% changed their behavior because of the financial consequence.

Third and in addition to implementing mandatory school courses educating students about the effects of alcohol on mental decision-making while driving, I advocate that every state implements a mandatory course that must be retaken at each time of license renewal. Unlike the driver education course for teens, this could be done solely online. The repetition of a three-week, twenty-minute-per- night course would reawaken people to the fatal consequences of driving while under the influence as well as make them second guess themselves the next time that they reach for the keys after having consumed alcohol. While this topic is certainly incredibly complex, I believe that these are three real steps that could go a long way in reducing not only the number of intoxicated drivers on the road but, more importantly, the number of fatalities that result.

Bibliography

Alonso, F., Pastor, J. C., Montoro, L., & Esteban, C. (2015). Driving under the influence of alcohol: frequency, reasons, perceived risk, and punishment. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 10-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0007-4

Cheapest Car Insurance. (2017, April 1). Sober Enough to Drive? Retrieved July 5, 2021, from https://www.cheapcarinsurance.net/sober-enough-to-drive/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2021, January 19). Drunk Driving. Retrieved July 5, 2021, from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving