Marking the first time that offenders were asked what would make them stop driving drunk, The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization funded by America's leading distillers and dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, announced results of a recent, innovative survey to fight one of the most dangerous sectors of the driving population: the hardcore drunk driver.
Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Century Council said, "Our recent survey is interesting and innovative in that we went straight to the drunk driving offenders to find out what they think and what would make them stop. We learned that if drunk drivers received more severe sanctions the first time they were arrested, they would be less likely to drive drunk again. The Century Council has been working to rid our nation's roads of drunk drivers, particularly hardcore drunk drivers, for over fifteen years. We believe this survey will assist law enforcement, judges, and policymakers in their efforts to stop drunk driving."
Seventy-six percent of respondents said, prior to their last DUI arrest, 1 year of mandatory jail time "definitely would have made me stop drinking and driving," and 75% responded that a mandatory fine of $10,000 would do the same. The potential of longer jail time and stiffer fines increased the likelihood that DUI offenders would not drive drunk again. Additionally, 70% of respondents said that ignition interlocks would be an effective deterrent. While compliance with ignition interlocks is often low, the threat of a heavy fine and mandatory jail time could increase the installation and use of ignition interlocks, thus making it an even more effective tool in the fight against hardcore drunk drivers. A majority of respondents said that court ordered assessments, mandatory treatment, and court ordered community service regardless of the duration were tactics that were not perceived to be a deterrent.
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