In the wake of President Barack Obama’s recent proclamation, Power of Prevention and Drug Free Communities/Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention program is helping to get the word out to community members that December is National Impaired Driving Prevention month.
The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety states, “At present, drunk driving causes more deaths and injuries than any other violent crime: no one, including friends and family, is immune.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Department of Transportation, as reported on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver, which is the equivalent of one death every 51 minutes; and the annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $59 billion.
The NHTSA has even more grim statistics to report — these affecting children: “Of the 1,168 traffic deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2012, 239 (20 percent) involved an alcohol-impaired driver, and of the 239 child passengers ages 14 and younger who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2012, over half (124) were riding in the vehicle with the alcohol-impaired driver.”
According to the NHTSA for Maine-specific statistics, as reported on www.alcoholalert.com, in 2012, over a third (38 percent) of all traffic fatalities in this state involved alcohol. When the highest blood alcohol content involved was 0.08 percent, the level at which a driver can be charged with Operating Under the Influence, a criminal offense, 30 percent of those crashes led to fatalities.
Alcohol-related costs also include medical treatment costs for those incidents which may not involve vehicular fatalities. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety states that “Problem drinkers have twice as many injury events per year and four times as many hospitalizations for injuries. In recent years, an estimated 1.9 million emergency department visits were associated with substance misuse or abuse, with alcohol continuing to be the primary substance that is misused or abused.”
The consequences for driving while impaired are strict and expensive. Maine.gov reports this: For a first-time offender, costs could reach up to $7,000. Estimated charges include: Towing Charges $50; Bail Bond $25; Lawyer $2,000; Fine $500; Alcohol Education Course $105; 3-Year Insurance Surcharge $4,000; Loss of Work Time $300; Total $6,980. In addition, an alcohol-impaired driver could lose their license for 90 days or more, with jail time.
All OUI convictions in Maine result in a criminal record, which affects job desirability, schooling, and in northern Maine, an individual’s ability to cross the border.
“The holiday season, especially, is a time when folks like to celebrate with family and friends,” said Mark Shea, project coordinator for Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention. “Sometimes, those celebrations involve drinking, which is fine, as long as party-goers drink in moderation and plan ahead by using a designated driver who has not had anything to drink.”
Locally, New Year’s Eve revelers in Caribou have a unique resource at their fingertips if they get too tipsy to drive. Beaulieu’s Garage and Body Shop will give a complimentary tow and ride home to anyone in Caribou who has had too much to drink to get behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve, a community service they have offered for several years. All one has to do to take advantage of this service is call Beaulieu’s at 492-2471.
Increased resources over the last several years, including additional funding for road blocks and special patrols, better testing equipment, and enhanced training for law enforcement officers, have resulted in the conviction of more and more drivers operating under the influence.
According to the MBHS, the problem includes the fact that many drinkers are not aware that they are misusing or abusing alcohol. Drinking more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week for men, or more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks per week for women is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking, states the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The NHTSA/CDC also provides information about impaired driving statistics that involve drugs other than alcohol, or drugs in combination with alcohol, reporting that 18 percent of motor vehicle deaths involve marijuana and/or cocaine.
The CDC recommends strategies for preventing situations leading to impaired driving, specifically alcohol: “Whenever your social plans involve alcohol, make plans so that you don’t have to drive after drinking. For example, prior to any drinking, designate a non-drinking driver when with a group; don’t let your friends drive impaired.” The CDC recommends taking the keys of impaired drivers away, or as The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibly advises, tell them that you will have to inform the police that they will be driving impaired. “If you have been drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi. If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver; offer alcohol-free beverages; and make sure all guests leave with a sober driver. “
Julie Daigle is community outreach coordinator for Power of Prevention, A Healthy Maine Partnership. She can be reached at 207-834-2003 or via email at Julie@powerofprevention.org. For more information, visit powerofprevention.org.
