How a Bill out of Missouri could end DUI Checkpoints in the State
House Bill 4, proposed by the Missouri Legislature, reduces state funding for drunk driving checkpoints from $20 million to $1 million. Supporters point to growing concern over the effectiveness of costly checkpoints. Many believe that there are alternatives that help to reduce drunk driving including alcohol monitoring through SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring bracelets. The problem resides in alcohol addiction and people not being held accountable. Many believe that checkpoints are too easy to avoid and usually result in only a handful of DUI arrests whereas other countermeasures have been proven more effective.
The removal of state funding will require individual counties to fund their own checkpoints. Law enforcement agencies, courts and probation officers have looked to alternatives for reducing drunk driving and DUI recidivism. Programs like the 24/7-sobriety program or Target 25, which utilize the SCRAM bracelet for monitoring alcohol consumption, have been some of the most effective options. The programs are generally collaborative efforts between a number of different agencies that all have the same goal – reduce drunk driving accidents. No one thinks that stopping drunk drivers will be an easy task. There are over 1 million DUI arrests each year and counting. It takes involvement from everyone to combat this problem.