| Stopping Drunk Drivers | |
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"The risk is very real. Each year over the July 4th holiday period, an average of 500 people are killed nationwide, with nearly 50 percent of those being alcohol-related," said Georgia S. Chakiris, regional administrator of National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.
In 1999, 227 deaths occurred on the Fourth of July nationwide as a direct result of drunk driving. In the U.S., Independence Day is one of the most dangerous times of the year to be on the highways.
Tougher Laws
Each year state, county and local police forces increase their efforts to stop drunk driving during the holiday -- with more patrols, roadblocks, and safety checks. This year some of those agencies will have more weapons in their arsenal to fight the battle.In ten states, new lower blood alcohol level standards have been adopted, lowering the threshold for drunken driving from .10 to .08. Last year Congress adopted a transportation funding bill that put pressure on state legislators to lower the BAC limit or lose federal highway funding. Since that time, 10 states have adopted the new lower level.
Before the pressure was increased by Congress, only 18 states and the District of Columbia had a .08 BAC threshold for driving while intoxicated. Now more than half the United States has the standard.
The new lower standard significantly reduces the amount of alcohol an individual can consume and still drive legally, as this Alcohol Impairment Chart graphically illustrates.
New Technology
Many police agencies also have new technology available to help them get drunk drivers off the road. Many are now using a device called the P.A.S. III Sniffer, (Passive Alcohol Sensor System) which is an electronic device that looks and works like a flashlight, but actually senses the presence of alcohol.Officers can hold the illuminated end of a "flashlight" six inches from the driver's face and it analyzes the driver's breath for traces of alcohol. Actually, the device is capable of detecting any alcohol in the vehicle, and indicate whether or not there is an open container in the car.
Other agencies will be using another new tool called the Alcohol Breath Test, distributed by Winner International of Sharon, which is a pre-arrest testing device.
The suspected drunk driver blows air into a small plastic bag until it is filled. One end of a small tube-like syringe packed with brown crystals is then administered into the top of the bag.
The officer then squeezes the air out of the bag and watches to see if the crystals change color. If they turn green, alcohol is present in the person's bloodstream. The test doesn't determine the amount of alcohol in the blood or if the person is legally drunk, it simply lets the officer know if the person has been drinking. If so, a field sobriety test or other test can then be administered.
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