NCJ Number
92047
Date Published
1982
Length
0 pages
Annotation
The film provides viewers with a closeup look at the drunk driving problem, with a special focus at toughening the laws in this area.
Abstract
The film illustrates how alcohol seriously impairs the reflexes, judgment, and control of drivers behind the wheel and shows the procedure police officers follow after pulling over a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. It notes that 80 percent of arrests for driving while intoxicated (DWI) occur between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Police officers administer the Breathalyzer test in trying to assess if a person is intoxicated. The legal limit for alcohol is a .10 reading on the Breathalyzer, but the average drunk driver comes out .20. The motor vehicle administration in each State is authorized to rescind the licenses of persons convicted of drunk driving. However, plea bargaining to a lesser charge and lenient sentencing by judges reduces the number of persons whose licenses can be revoked. Interagency cooperation (police, courts, legislatures) is essential to rid the Nation's roads of drunk drivers. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) are trying to make citizens, especially parents of teenagers, more aware of the problem. MADD and RID monitor judges' sentencing decisions on drunk drivers and publish these records before elections so that people know which judges are tough or lenient on this issue. The best way to rid the roads of drunk drivers is to take away drunk drivers' licenses permanently. The next best solution is to have a nationwide alcohol treatment program for drunk drivers, but the Nation is not willing to spend resources on such a program. Citizens are urged to get involved with the drunk driving problem before they become its victims. (Author abstract modified)