Recession Could Have Contributing to Lower Drunk Driving Accidents in Atlanta
Atlanta car accident attorneys have been bombarded with explanations for the decline in drunk driving accident numbers in Atlanta over the past couple of years. One widely held theory has been that law enforcement agencies have been getting tougher about cracking down on intoxicated motorists. However, this increased crackdown by law enforcement on drunk drivers could actually be courtesy the recession.
The Augusta Chronicle recently published a report on how cash-strapped law enforcement agencies are now forced to conduct stationery checkpoints instead of the usual highway patrols. Law-enforcement budgets across the state have been slashed, and Atlanta has been no exception. These agencies have been informed that they have to conserve fuel to cut costs. One of the ways they have done this is by having more stationary roadblocks.
Stationary roadblocks may be a slower and more primitive way to pull drunk offenders over, but it has actually led to an increase in the number of DUI arrests. According to the report, the number of citations issued by the Georgia State Patrol for DUI increased by 37% in the four years since the recession kicked in. The Georgia State Patrol also increased the number of citations issued for seatbelt and child restraint infractions significantly. Tickets issued for motorists driving without insurance increased by 29%.
All of this has been possible because officers have access to more information when they are looking into your car, than when they are engaged in hot pursuit. For instance, a person could be driving with a blood-alcohol level of more than .08, without any impact on his driving ability. Such persons may escape an officer in his car, but the signs of intoxication will be very visible to an officer peering into his window. That has meant more DUI arrests, and possibly contributed to the fewer drunk driving accidents in the state.
