Sobriety Checkpoint Essay

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In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes while an additional 290,000 people were injured. That sums up to one death every fifty-two minutes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. Although the number of fatalities has decreased nationally by forty-nine percent, drunk driving remains a crucial issue in the world. If the whole world acknowledges the abysmal outcomes of drunk driving, why is it still a monumental issue? Organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, MADD for short, are already taking a stand against drivers under the influence, but they cannot achieve their movement alone. The creation of sobriety checkpoints can reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that occur. Sobriety checkpoints are police roadblocks that restrict the movement of people, goods, and ideas (Proposed). In this case, the …show more content…
Critics believe the cost of creating such checkpoints is exceptionally expensive. However, the cost of creating the police roadblocks does not compare to the amount of money saved as a result of stopping drunk drivers. Annually, the astounding cost of alcohol-related crashes is one-hundred and thirty-two billion dollars! Research shows that each checkpoint established supplies fifty-thousand dollars of cost savings, including over three-thousand dollars in medical costs. Other studies show that each checkpoint saves between six to twenty-three dollars for every one dollar invested! In addition, employment for each checkpoint is surprisingly inexpensive. Studies show that checkpoints can be effective with as little as three to five officers operating each location. Saturation and roving patrols already roam the streets searching for signs of drunk driving, but checkpoints contain higher visibility and raise the perceived risk of being caught. Just one simple checkpoint can save the lives and money of many victims.

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