Sobering News On Drunk Driving
Tomorrow marks what is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year. And it leads into the most intense party time of the year. Which is one reason why Mothers Against Drunk Driving is again taking a stand to try and prevent more drunk driving accidents and deaths. Bob Orr has details. -- Ed.
I say "has had" because frankly the war on drunk driving isn't going so well these days. Actually, it's bogged down.
Despite the sobriety checkpoints and public service campaigns that pop up around every holiday, the number of drinking-related fatalities is no longer going down. For the past decade, about 13,000 people, sometimes more, have died every year on the roads at the hands of drunks.
Video: The locks are simple. A driver blows into a tube and if the driver has a Blood Alcohol Level above the legal limit, his car won't start.
It's hard to imagine that anyone would be pro-drunk driver, but a number of critics of the proposal say it's outrageous for "first-time" offenders to have their driving privileges curbed after making just one mistake.
To them, it seems heavy-handed – another government trampling of individual rights.
But, here's something to remember. A "first-time offender" probably isn't a first-time drunk driver. In fact, MADD's research shows the average "first offender" drives under the influence 88 times before he's ever pulled over.
And, here's another thing to remember. 13,000 more people will die next year in alcohol-related crashes.