20th Safe & Sober Planner Operation ABC You Drink & Drive. You Lose. Call To Action Activities Guide Impaired Driving Blood Alcohol Concentration Zero Tolerance Repeat Offenders Program Brochure Resource Guide

For many, drinking is a social habit, but for others, it is a chronic problem that can lead to erratic, often reckless, behavior, including frequent impaired driving incidents. And chances are that that individual has already driven impaired as many as 1,000 times before being caught the first time.

Chronic drinking is a behavior that often masks larger, underlying issues in an individual, which makes him/her a particularly difficult audience to reach through traditional avenues such as public education. Through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) You Drink & Drive. You Lose. program, NHTSA hopes to reach these individuals not only by promoting law enforcement’s crack-down on impaired driving, but also by identifying and educating potential influencers within the chronic drinker’s social circle.

What makes repeat offenders so dangerous?
Aside from the obvious reasoning that repeat offenders, by definition, tend to drive impaired repeatedly, they also do so at a higher intoxication rate, and therefore, are more likely to become involved in an alcohol-related crash. The severity of a motor vehicle crash increases exponentially with the amount of alcohol involved, evidenced in the fact that drivers with BACs exceeding .15 have been found 200 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, while those with BACs of .20 are 460 times more likely.

What’s the difference between a social drinker and a chronic drinker?
Whether an individual is considered a "social" or "chronic" drinker, any drinking associated with driving is a bad mix, and can lead to personal injury, property damage, fines, loss of driving privileges and possible incarceration. However, repeat offenders do tend to fit a particular profile, traditionally displaying anti-social behavior such as aggression, hostility, sensation-seeking, drug us, and a history of poor social and inter-personal relationships.

What can I do to prevent a chronic drinker from becoming a repeat offender?
Chronic drinkers often ignore the social taboos associated with impaired driving, and display a complete disregard for impaired driving laws. While traditional methods often fail to capture this audience’s attention, studies show that family members and friends close to them can have a strong influence over their behavior. Individuals in this position can make a substantial difference in the lives of their loved ones and ensure the safety of all those on the road by alerting the repeat offender to his/her destructive behavior and helping that individual work to change his/her drinking and driving habits.

For those chronic drinkers who are resistant to change, law enforcement has instituted stricter punitive measures for repeat offenders. When the loss of driving privileges and fines are not enough, authorities resort to ignition interlock devices, immobilization or even impoundment of an offender’s vehicle. All of these tools are used in coordination with treatment through a formal substance abuse or dependency program, with the mission to treat the underlying problem, to affect a change in behavior. But whether the individual is a first-time or repeat offender, the message is clear: You Drink & Drive. You Lose.