A holiday drunk-driving crackdown is being enforced nationwide, including a provision for quick warrants to obtain blood samples to measure blood alcohol concentration (BAC). U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood kicked off the annual “Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest” program on Monday. The goal is safer travel for the holiday season.
The program began a few years ago, when a 2007 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study showed that the daily death toll from drunk-driving crashes over the Christmas and New Year holidays was significantly higher than during the rest of the year. Stronger enforcement should discourage people from driving while intoxicated, and thus reduce accidents.
“When it comes to drunk driving, we cannot afford to have repeat offenders. The No Refusal strategy helps support prosecutions and improves deterrence, which means fewer drunk drivers on the road,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland in a statement.
This year Secretary LaHood is highlighting a new No Refusal strategy states can use to further enforce drunk-driving laws. With No Refusal, police can quickly obtain warrants from on call judges to take blood samples from suspected intoxicated drivers who refuse a Breathalyzer test.
It is against the law in all states to drive with a BAC level of .08 or higher. Yet, according the NHTSA, in many states a large proportion of people pulled over for driving under the influence (DUI) refuse to take an alcohol Breathalyzer test. Some motorists say they decline the test because they claim the Breathalyzer is merely an estimation of alcohol levels, and not a true measurement of BAC.
The latest NHTSA data showed that states with the highest refusal rates included Massachusetts, Florida, Louisiana, and Ohio. New Hampshire topped the list with an 81 percent refusal rate.
The NHTSA said states that have adopted No Refusal programs (including Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Utah, Idaho, and Arizona) reported more guilty pleas, fewer trials, and more convictions.
NHTSA data showed that last year, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, including 753 in December alone.
Click here to view new NHTSA data on impaired driving fatalities.
Click here to view information on the “No Refusal Weekends” tool kit.
