Ignition Interlock Devices Stop Drunk Driving Deaths

By Floyd Arthur

Over the past two decades, drunk driving deaths in the United States have dropped by over 50 percent, from over 25,000 per year in 1982 to just under 10,000 in 2014. Nonetheless, drunk driving is still a significant issue nationwide.  According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, drunk driving is behind one in three fatal car crashes in the United States and costs the American economy about $100 billion each year.

Drunk Driving Statistics

• In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, “drunk driving” (driving under the influence of alcohol) is defined as operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or above.
• Four out of five drunk drivers are men.
• Younger people are at the greatest risk of dying in an alcohol-related car crash. Of drunk drivers killed in automobile accidents in 2010, 33 percent were between the the ages of 21 and 24. Twenty-nine percent were between 35 and 34, and 24 percent were between the ages of 35 and 44.

• In 2013, 200 children under the age of 15 died in an alcohol-related car crash on U.S. roads. Over half of these (121) were in the car with the drunk driver when they were killed. Another 29 were struck and killed by a drunk driver while riding their bicycles or crossing the street.
• Most drunk drivers are not caught. In 2012, American adults reported that they drove drunk 121 million times. A mere 1 percent, or 1.3 million drivers, were arrested for drunk or driving that same year.
• About 30 percent of drunk drivers are repeat offenders. The average drunk driver has driven drunk about 80 times before his first arrest. Drunk drivers involved in fatal car crashes are six times more likely to have had a prior arrest for DUI than those who were not drunk.

Ignition Interlock Devices and Drunk Driving

One of the latest and most effective weapons in the war against drunk driving is a small, cellphone-sized piece of technology known as an ignition interlock device. Essentially a breathalyzer that attaches to the ignition switch of a car, the device disables the vehicle if it detects a blood alcohol level above a set limit -- typically 0.02.  

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the devices have stopped over 1.8 million drunk driving incidents since 2006 and saved countless lives. In Arizona, which enacted mandatory ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk-driving offenders in 2007, alcohol-related fatalities have decreased by 50 percent. Drunk-driving deaths in West Virginia dropped 40 percent after that state enacted a similar law in 2008. Oregon, Washington and Hawaii have seen a reduction in drunk-driving fatalities of between 25 and 33 percent since enacting mandatory ignition-interlock laws.

As of 2016, all 50 states currently have some form of ignition-interlock law in place, and twenty three states** require mandatory ignition interlock devices for all offenders. Based on the success of programs currently in place, both MADD and the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration have called for states to enact laws requiring mandatory ignition interlock devices for all offenders nationwide.

At Carmoon Group, we know that your family’s safety is your No. 1 priority, and we support laws that keep drunk drivers off the road. However, we also know that laws alone don’t offer the kind of comprehensive protections you need -- the right kind of insurance coverage is essential as well.

We are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., so give us a call at 516-292-3780 to schedule your insurance review. Or if you prefer, simply request a free consultation online and we will get back to you within one business day.

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