Some 11,654 individuals died in drink-driving collisions in 2020 alone. Are states taking the proper actions to curb the disaster?
Photograph: Canva
Solely 14 states and the District of Columbia have taken the required steps to require alcohol ignition interlocks — a key motion advisable by the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) in 2013.
That discovering is amongst a number of in a brand new report from the NTSB, which is a complete assessment of states’ actions related to curbing drunk driving over the previous decade. The findings are troubling.
Concerning the NTSB’s push for states to require ignition interlocks, whereas 14 achieved the aim, one other 12 states have made progress however haven’t totally accomplished the duty. Even worse, eight states — California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, and South Dakota — in addition to Puerto Rico, have made no progress in any respect.
On the upside, in 2013 there was no want for the NTSB to make the advice to 17 states as a result of these states had already addressed the difficulty.
In its unique report, the NTSB additionally advisable that states decrease the per se blood alcohol focus (BAC) restrict to 0.05 or decrease for all drivers. Noteworthy, over 100 international locations have already established per se BAC limits at or under 0.05.
Nonetheless, within the new report, NTSB reveals that Utah is the one state that has lowered its BAC restrict to adjust to the NTSB suggestion. Proof signifies that the technique is saving lives within the Beehive State. The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration did a research that discovered site visitors deaths in Utah decreased after the state enacted a legislation to decrease its impaired driving authorized restrict to .05 in 2018. Utah’s deadly crash and fatality charges decreased 19.8% and 18.3%, respectively — a major enchancment over the remainder of the nation.
However different states are failing to take motion to observe the NTSB suggestion. Eight states launched laws to decrease the BAC restrict to 0.05, however the payments floundered and have been by no means enacted. Extra disheartening, 43 states, the District of Columba, and Puerto Rico haven’t made any try to handle the advice.
In 2020, some 11,654 individuals misplaced their lives in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one particular person each 45 minutes.
