For the past several years, youth fatalities involving alcohol-related collisions have been declining, a welcoming development in the US where nearly 37 percent of traffic fatalities were caused by drunk drivers.
According to safety road experts, there are four factors that have contributed to the continuous decline of motor vehicle collision involving young drunk drivers.
Raising the Minimum Drinking Age
Nearly all states increased the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to 21 years old. This traffic law was based in more than 50 studies showing that low MLDA increases traffic fatalities involving drunk drivers while raising MLDA has the opposite result.
With several studies that have established the correlation between MLDA and alcohol-related deaths, the federal government enacted the Uniform Drinking Age Act in 1984 that will reduce highway funds for any state that will not raise its MLDA to 21.
However, experts believe that higher MLDA will not be effective in reducing alcohol-related deaths if there is little or no strict enforcement which should include higher fines and imprisonment for DUI driving.
The Passage of Zero Tolerance Law
Many states follow the Zero Tolerance Law which prohibits drivers under 21 years old to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.01 percent and higher. This law is stricter for young drivers compared to adults who must follow a BAC limit of 0.08 percent.
The Zero Tolerance Law also has stricter punishment for teenage drivers including higher fines and longer suspension of their driver’s license.
Media Campaigns and Youth Programs
States and local communities have been conducting media campaigns and youth programs that aim to spread the dangers of drunk driving especially among teenagers are who not experienced drivers.
According to communication experts, the media can serve as a potent tool to establish that drinking and driving is not just dangerous but also not part of the social norms.
DUI Checkpoints
Because states have different traffic problems, each of these has adopted certain measures which are only applicable to its place. For example, communities and cities which have casinos, bars, and night spots set up checkpoints to examine anyone who is suspected of DUI.
However, traffic enforcers in the US are prohibited to randomly check drivers unless they have a reason to suspect DUI violation, unlike in most European countries which allow police to conduct random examination even without a reason do so.
