Drunken drivers still a menace on our roads

A recent state report on drunken driving arrests raises some serious concerns about one of the most stubborn problems facing modern society.

Pennsylvania state troopers recently reported that they arrested 22,139 motorists statewide for drunken driving in 2019. That amounts to a 10% increase over 2018, when 20,143 were arrested. Troopers also reported that they investigated 4,692 DUIrelated crashes in 2019.

In Pennsylvania, a driver is legally impaired when the blood-alcohol content is measured at 0.08 percent.

The good news here is that the numbers offer evidence that state troopers are being vigilant in their enforcement of an extremely important set of traffic laws.

The bad news is that so many thousands of people continue to drink and drive despite decades of repeated warnings about the dangers of doing so.

Consider that the troopers’ figures don’t include arrests made by local police, and that we know that many other drunk drivers never face arrest.

We applaud the state police for their commitment in trying to protect motorists from the dangers posed by those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“Impaired driving is a serious crime that occurs every day in Pennsylvania, often committed by people who would otherwise consider themselves to be law-abiding,” Col. Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, said in the agency’s announcement of the 2019 numbers.

Evanchick said that state police have a zero-tolerance approach to DUI.

He rightfully noted that what’s required is a continued combination of education as well as enforcement.

In 2019, the troopers statewide provided 2,300 traffic safety presentations at schools, businesses and community events. State police community services officers regularly speak about DUI prevention and other traffic safety topics at schools, community events, and businesses. Their presentations are offered at no charge and may be requested by contacting your local state police station.

As Evanchick noted, one of the biggest barriers in changing behaviors here is that so many people who break the law don’t think they’re doing anything wrong. There’s an unfortunate tendency for people to assume that they can handle whatever it is they’ve consumed and still drive safely.

One of the most nefarious things about drinking is that the very act of consuming alcohol makes it more difficult to make rational decisions.

That’s why the age-old advice about designated drivers still is the best course of action. Just a drink or two, however harmless it may seem, can lead to disaster. It’s better to leave the driving to someone who isn’t drinking at all.

This is an ideal time to share these reminders as bars reopen and people start going out in greater numbers.

If the risk of causing death or dismemberment is not sufficiently persuasive, people should remember that a DUI arrest carriers very stiff penalties ranging from probation to jail, and typically include license suspension.

Think you won’t get caught? Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania drivers will tell you otherwise.

We can’t help but wonder what it will take to get this message through to people. According to 2018 figures from the Pennsylvania

DUI Association, there were 9,811 alcohol-related crashes in Pennsylvania that year, causing 331 fatalities.

Furthermore, 21.29% of alcohol-related fatalities between ages of 16 and 20 were drinking drivers. That’s of enormous concern. Young drivers and their passengers face enough danger without factoring alcohol into the equation. Meanwhile a staggering 43% of driver fatalities in the 21 to 25 age group had been drinking.

Though alcohol-related crashes accounted for approximately 8% of the total crashes in 2018, they resulted in 28% of all persons fatally injured in crashes.

This is serious business. Lives are at stake. It’s time for more people to finally pay attention.