While it may seem hard to believe, it's now been nearly 25 years since the 50 states first began passing laws calling for mandatory ignition interlocks, the breathalyzer-like devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected in the driver's breath. Given this rather substantial passage of time, the question naturally arises as to just how effective these mandatory ignition interlocks have proven in preventing fatal drunk driving accidents on U.S. roads and highways. As it turns out, there was no real answer to this question until just last month. Indeed, a first-of-its-kind study published in the January edition of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine by experts from Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research has shed some much-needed light on this topic. After examining trends in fatal car accidents involving alcohol from 1982 to 2013, and accounting for certain developments in traffic safety laws, the…

As much as we would like to believe that people are now more prone to rethinking their decision to get behind the wheel after a night spent imbibing, statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that drunk driving is still the single biggest cause of deadly motor vehicle accidents, accounting for over 10,000 fatalities per year. In light of figures like these, questions naturally arise as to just how effective ride sharing services like the omnipresent Uber have been in reducing fatal drunk driving accidents. Indeed, the company, which markets itself as an on-call designated driver, frequently cites research showing that the ride sharing model reduces both DUIs and fatal drunk driving accidents. Interestingly enough, a recently published study in the American Journal of Epidemiology has called these claims about the efficacy of the ride sharing model in reducing drunk driving accidents into question. As part of the study, researchers…

A good portion of our nation's infrastructure relies heavily on the long hours spent by highway workers repairing and maintaining our roadways. Here in Georgia, with our many busy highways, much of this maintenance and repair must be done during the late evening and early morning hours. While these hours are typically quiet on the highway, late night bar patrons and other partygoers may make up a good portion of the traffic. Ideally, each late-night commute is made by a completely sober and wide-awake driver. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. And, many vehicles speeding past road workers may actually be driven by a drunk driver. According to the CDC, roughly one-third of all traffic-related fatalities in the U.S. in 2014 were caused by drunk drivers. That is almost 10,000 people that lost their lives in alcohol-related car accidents. While it may not be known how many of those fatalities were…

Over-the-counter drugs, prescriptions and legalized recreational drugs can all affect your ability to drive, but each one influences you differently. That is the deadly problem with driving while drugged. Each drug can affect people differently. Maybe pain killers result in hallucinations. Or maybe the prescription leaves you feeling sleepy. Regardless, drugged driving is a growing problem that states are tackling in a haphazard manner. This article will go over some of these risks and how they may affect you. The problem with drugged driving is that people are doing it with a combination of legal and illegal drugs, sometimes at the same time. Furthermore, driving while on drugs does not carry the same social stigma and barometer as drunk driving. There is no clear "0.08 percent" line that shows when it is safe and unsafe to drive. Due to the variable nature of drug use, it is difficult to collect data…

Drunk driving accidents are always preventable. This fact is one reason those who lose loved ones in these types of accidents are so frustrated. Fortunately, the number of drunk driving accidents in Georgia is statistically decreasing, but, as in all states, the annual number of DUI-related accidents is still much too high. According to statistics for 2005 through 2011 released by the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, the peak years for alcohol-related fatalities were 2006 through 2008. During those years, drunk drivers caused 27 percent of all accident-related fatalities statewide. The percentage of alcohol-related deaths began decreasing in 2009, and, by 2011, the percentage was at a six-year low at 23 percent. While the statistics show a definite improvement, those who suffered because of drunk drivers will tell you that the state still has a long way to go toward preventing all alcohol-related deaths. For those individuals and families who lost…

Every Georgia resident knows that drunk driving is illegal. Unfortunately, countless Georgians continue to get behind the wheel of their cars or trucks after drinking enough alcohol to put them over the legal limit. Even though many make it to their destinations without incident, many do not, and drunk driving-related accidents are often the result. Many of those accidents leave victims seriously injured, while others leave families facing futures without their loved ones. According to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2003 to 2012, almost 3,700 people were killed in accidents that involved drunk drivers in the state of Georgia. The statistics also show that those between the ages of 21 and 34 were more likely to die in drunk driving accidents than Georgians in other age ranges. Additionally, men are slightly more likely to die in alcohol-related crashes than women. Due to these startling numbers…

As the holiday season draws to an end and we welcome 2016, we all look to the future with expectations of improvement and resolution to do better, enjoy more and get things right. But what if we aren't given the chance? Or what if someone we love isn't able to? What if you or a loved one's life is changed forever because you were on the roads on New Year's Eve and so was a driver who had celebrated a little too much and made the poor decision to get behind the wheel, heading to another party or on a beer run or perhaps home, that decision will become a costly one, for them and for the strangers in the car they involve, leaving lasting devastation on countless people's lives. Using victim in an encompassing sense?including families who must cope with either the pain or death of one they cherish?if…

A repeat DUI offender who resides in the state of Georgia has received a sentence of 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to a hit and run accidents that killed a 19-year-old man. The 34-year-old man was charged with leaving the scene of the crash as well as DUI manslaughter. The crash occurred in Jacksonville, Florida — just south of Georgia. The man is also a registered sex offender and has been required to serve 11 years of probation on top of his 30-year sentence. He will have his driver’s license permanently revoked as well. The 19-year-old was riding his motorcycle east on a well-traveled parkway when the offender turned left, straight into the path of the motorcycle, and their two vehicles collided. The driver of the car was attempting to turn into a luxury apartment complex. The victim was taken to a local area hospital, but died from…

"Dram shop" laws in Georgia and elsewhere in the United States pertain to the legal duty of the owner of an establishment that serves alcohol to stop serving liquor to a customer who shows signs of intoxication, with the purpose of reducing incidents of people drinking and driving. In the majority of these cases, if a person who is injured in a drunk driving-related accident sues such an establishment, the management and the intoxicated customer will be different people. But a recent incident in Atlanta shows that this distinction is not always the case. The family of a motorcyclist who died when he was involved in an accident with an allegedly drunk driver is suing multiple defendants, beginning with the manager of the restaurant where the alleged drunk driver -- who also happened to be the manager himself -- as well as the company that owns the restaurant chain and…

At any given time there are many drivers on Georgia roads who are under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or both. Studies that have been done concerning the effects of each of these drugs suggest that they have different effects. This post covers some of the findings of these studies. Cognitive and automatic functions: Alcohol has a stronger influence on cognitive functions, which include motor skills and concentration in activities like steering, braking, signal detection, hazard perception, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination. Marijuana affects automatic functions. These include the ability to stay in the lane of traffic or to keep speed constant. Marijuana also degrades the ability to make decisions quickly, thereby affecting the ability to react to external cues like changing traffic signals or the presence of an obstacle in the road. Over-and-underestimation of driving ability. Marijuana makes drivers more likely to underestimate their driving abilities. Pot smokers tend…