Impaired Driving
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) results in tens of millions of dollars in economic loss every year in Cuyahoga County. These costs include medical care, property damage and lost productivity. Drinking and driving can also be deadly. Alcohol was a factor in over 50% of the motor vehicle fatalities countywide during 2003. Cracking down on DUI benefits the entire community.
Why is a children’s hospital involved in preventing DUI?
Some people may wonder why a children’s hospital would be involved in DUI enforcement. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of children who die in alcohol-related crashes are not killed by a drunk driver striking them, but by the impaired driver transporting them. The government estimates two out of three children killed in alcohol-related crashes are passengers riding with an impaired driver. Also, the more alcohol drivers consume, the less likely they are to buckle up their children. Sixty-eight percent of the drivers survived these crashes, suggesting many children also would have survived had they been properly restrained.
Cuyahoga County DUI Taskforce
The Cuyahoga County DUI taskforce participates in the annual national crackdown on impaired driving. The campaign titled “You Drink & Drive. You Lose.” involves high-visibility enforcement such as DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols. Enforcement efforts are coordinated so that multiple jurisdictions in the county participate at the same time; leaving motorists the impression that police everywhere are looking for drunk drivers. In addition to enforcement, police officers and other community members engage in public information and education regarding the dangers of impaired driving.
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