Your three children are asleep in the room next to you and you"re still up waiting for your husband to come home from his second shift job. Then the phone rings and an unfamiliar voice says, "Mrs. Smith? Is your husband Jerry Michael Smith Ma"am, I"m sorry to be the one to tell you this but your husband was killed in a motor vehicle accident. We would like for you to come down to the station." Every year thousands of homes receive the same phone call, approximately three out of every ten (FARS 2000). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of fatal alcohol related accidents have gone down since 1980, yet, there are still too many lives being taken away. In order to prevent these accidents, laws must become more strict. In other words, setting up random sobriety check points, longer suspension of the offenders license, or even going as far as impounding the vehicles of repeat offenders. .
In many cities people are accustomed to being subject to random sobriety checkpoints, although maybe not enough. Some people only see these checkpoints during holidays such as, New Years Eve or the Fourth of July, yet, what about the other times that most alcohol related accidents occur. According to FARS, during the time between midnight and 2:40am, cities render 87% of the total alcohol related accidents(2000). Setting up checkpoints at frequently used intersections and in areas around bars could reduce the number of intoxicated drivers and cause more of a need for designated drivers. Although some people would resent the increase in taxes due to the increase in men the police stations would have to provide to run the checkpoints. By setting up these random checks more often it would also reduce the number of police officers out on patrol, which inevitably could cause more violence in other places.
After most DUI or DWI convictions the offender usually has to face the standard amount of license suspension plus a certain number of community service hours before being eligible to receive their driving privileges back.
