Sobering Up

A Belgium-based safe driving organization has launched a campaign to promote an innovative—yet relatively simple—program for reducing drunk driving. Responsible Young Drivers (RYD) organizes events throughout Belgium to bring attention to safety issues like seat belt use and drunk driving, with an emphasis on youth. In Belgium, the legal drinking age for beer and wine [...]

On the 25th anniversary of our nation’s deadliest alcohol-impaired driving crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a new set of alcohol-impaired driving recommendations. The most notable recommendation is gaining a lot of attention: Reducing the maximum Blood Alcohol Content from 0.08 BAC to 0.05 BAC in all 50 states. These 19 recommendations are [...]

On May 14, 1988, near Carrollton, Kentucky, a school bus filled with children and their adult chaperons was returning from a church outing. Larry Mahoney, driving drunk and the wrong way, slammed in to their bus, and it burst into flames. In all, 24 children and 3 adults perished in that wreck, with numerous others [...]

On April 29th North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple signed a new piece of DUI legislation that officials say with substantially strengthen North Dakota’s drunk driving laws. House Bill 1302, which goes into effect August 1st,  increases the fines for DUI convictions, increases jail time for second and subsequent offenses, and requires repeat DUI offenders to [...]

Last month the United States Supreme Court in Missouri v. McNeely ruled to uphold a Missouri Supreme Court ruling in which the defendant, charged with DUI, moved to suppress results from a blood test obtained by the arresting officer without the defendant’s consent or a search warrant, claiming the unauthorized test violated his Fourth Amendment [...]

Cinco de Mayo has entered the mainstream as a holiday, celebrated with good food and many times, an icy adult beverage. With the holiday falling on a Sunday this year, the potential for more people driving home impaired this weekend after their local fiestas is greater than if the holiday occurred on a weekday. How [...]

On April 29th, the second annual All Rise America! Relay for Recovery will commence in Santa Maria, California, kicking off a month-long, cross country tour that will highlight National Drug Court Month. The 3,500 mile road trip will make stops at 50 courts in 25 different communities with established Drug Courts, DWI Courts, or Veterans Treatment [...]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in the case of Missouri vs. McNeely that police officers must “usually” obtain a warrant before conducting blood draws on suspected impaired drivers. Justice Sotomayor delivered the Court’s opinion that the natural metabolism of alcohol does not grant a “per se” exigency that allows a blanket exception to the 4th [...]

Every April since 1987, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month in order to help individuals, families, and communities learn about the disease of alcoholism and bring attention to alcohol-related issues affecting their community. This year’s theme, “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow” is focused on underage drinking and [...]

On St. Patrick’s Day, over 122 million Americans will observe the Catholic Saint’s Feast Day by wearing the green or making a traditional Irish meal. Celebrations will often include hoisting a pint of Guiness or a measure of whiskey at a favorite local pub, and perhaps playing a round of Pub Trivia. In honor of [...]