MADD: Decline In Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities is Promising

MADD is pleased that for the second year in a row alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased from 17,105 in 2003 to 16,694 in 2004. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), these numbers translate into a 2.4 percent decline from 2003 to 2004. This is a step in the right direction.

MADD credits the number of lives saved and injuries prevented to primary seat belt laws, high visibility enforcement and.08 percent Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) laws in all 50 states. The country now has an 80 percent seat belt usage rate. The recently passed federal highway bill provides incentives to states who achieve an 85 percent seat belt use rate, or pass a primary seat belt law, and this should go a long way in saving even more lives. A seat belt is the best defense against a drunk driver.

It is not acceptable that nearly every half hour someone dies in an alcohol-related traffic crash. It is preventable and yet, MADD served more than 31,000 victims/survivors last year. To help reduce the numbers further every state must utilize sobriety checkpoints--one of the most effective tools we have to deter drunk driving.

The good news is that the recently passed, five-year federal highway bill includes a $29 million a year authorization for frequent and highly publicized sobriety checkpoints and seat belt mobilizations. This should go a long way in keeping the public from getting behind the wheel impaired because they will be aware that there are consequences for endangering others on the roadways.

Additionally, we must close the door on high-risk drivers in order to see the numbers come down. While the recently passed highway bill addresses repeat offenders and high-BAC offenders, it fails to mention those driving on suspended licenses and does not transfer dollars from states who do not address high-BAC offenders. Fifty-eight percent of all alcohol-related traffic deaths involve a driver with a BAC of .15 or higher and these drivers are at least 382 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a non-drinking driver.

So, while we are very glad the numbers have come down, we hope this is a sign of even more positive news in the future--a future that includes safer roads because people plan for alternative transportation before they drink alcohol or stay at home if they will be drinking. With key laws, strict and swift sentencing, and personal responsibility our country will turn the tide on drunk driving.