A recently released federal report indicates that California roads seem to be getting safer.
In 2009, following a four-year trend, DUI-related deaths dropped by 7.6%, motorcycle fatalities dropped by almost 30%, and traffic fatalities in general have gone down 10.3%.
Public officials point to a massive and collaborative effort by a number of state and federal agencies to implement the California Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The plan called for 150 different specific actions targeting wide ranging areas of driver safety. Examples include improved traffic signals, promotion and awareness of car seat regulations, and education for motorcycle drivers.
While some credit the plan for the decline in California traffic fatalities, some say other factors likely contributed to the lower numbers. The state's struggling economy puts fewer drivers on the road due to the rising price of insurance, registration fees and gas costs. Also, some say, concerted efforts targeted specifically at DUI prevention and enforcement have worked. Public awareness of increased DUI enforcement and regular DUI checkpoints have prevented some drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel. Further, California has devoted significant resources to the Avoid DUI Task Forces and the Report Drunk Drivers-Call 911 campaigns to help get the public involved in the systematic reduction of drunk driving.
Despite the hopeful news, even one traffic related death-especially those attributed to DUI or some other preventable cause-is too many.
Continuous collaborative efforts will help tackle drunk driving related traffic accidents and fatalities. If public officials continue to study the efficacy of nationwide programs that prevent and punish DUI's, if car manufacturers continue to make safer automobiles, and if citizens become increasingly aware of the dangers of drunk or unsafe driving, many are hopeful that California's DUI fatalities will decrease further in the years to come.
