Drunk Driving Essay

According to Levinthal (2011), alcohol is called the hidden drug because an alcoholic does not need to find a drug dealer on the street; instead it is legally available and has no criminal sanctions attached to its use; alcoholism is therefore easily hidden from friends and family. Unfortunately, drunk driving is the leading cause of deaths on roadways, and in addition causes hundreds of boating accidents as well. Fortunately, with the legal drinking age set at twenty one and the reduction in the BAC level of intoxication set to 0.08, there have been positive results in minimizing alcohol related deaths annually.
In an attempt to combat the issue of DUIs, a national minimum BAC level of 0.02 has also been set for drivers under age twenty one and has reportedly saved hundreds of lives for drivers between the ages of eighteen to twenty years. Educational programs in schools and communities focused on the advantages of using “designated drivers” as well as public education and lobbying groups; such as Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) have also yielded positive effects in the reduction of DUIs (Levinthal, 2011).
The first step in preventing DUIs is to prevent an intoxicated individual from driving. It is not always possible to prevent an individual from driving while intoxicated but various measures have been implemented to deter an individual who has been previously charged with a DUI to re-offend. The ignition interlock device is one such technology that is most widely used for deterring repeat DUI offenders. The ignition interlock device works by preventing the car from starting if the minimum BAC level in the breath of the driver is detected.
Another effective statewide resource t...

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...andom alcohol and other drug testing, community service, lifestyle changes, positive reinforcement for successful performance in the program, and jail time for noncompliance. Where DUI courts have been established, most nonviolent DUI offenders who have had two or more prior DUI convictions are assigned to DUI Court (Fell et al., 2011).
Reduction in Recidivism Rates
Fell et al., suggests that the clinical assessment of each offender, the period under treatment, the frequent monitoring, the partnerships with other agencies, and the leadership of the judges all seem to play a role in the reduction of recidivism in DUIs. DUI Courts, using DUI statutory conviction requirements as the structure of the program, bring together the various professionals needed to ensure a thorough clinical evaluation, treatment assessments, probation monitoring, and offender adjudication.