The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers. Teenagers are more likely to be on the road since they are out of school. An unfortunate number of these teens have been found to be driving under the influence. The US Department of Health and Human Services believes that over 15% of 18 to 20 year olds reported driving under the influence. Along with heightened instances of distracted driving including texting while driving has led to a staggering number of fatalities. The 4th of July is notoriously the deadliest day for travelers. An increased number of people on the road as well as an increased amount of drinking often has deadly consequences.
Law enforcement has tried to combat this increase in drunk driving offenses by adding DUI checkpoints, increased patrol and DUI saturation units. Federal and state grants have given local law enforcement the ability to enforce drinking and driving laws. Many jurisdictions have also joined forces with the courts, probation and sobriety programs to focus on dealing with the underlying issue of alcohol addiction. These collaborative efforts have significantly reduced drunk driving recidivism rates in counties across the country. Programs throughout nearly all 50 states have added alcohol monitoring through the SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring device to help reduce drunk driving offenses and other alcohol related fatalities. It is the hopes of these and other law enforcement agencies that these efforts will drastically reduce drinking and driving.