San Antonio Has a Serious Drunk Driving Problem (2013, condo)

[Mom2Feebs]

Another wrong-way driver crash on an SA freeway, this time, it was last night at IH-10 and Huebner.

21 people dead as a result of this kind of thing in just the last two years.

I've never seen anything like it, anywhere.

In 2013, it was suggested in an Express-News article that the Federal Highway Commission hasn't done enough to address the problem and that it has been left up to the locals.

That's shirking responsibility and is, frankly, pretty ridiculous when it clearly IS a "local" problem.

In one instance:

"At the crash scene, San Antonio police officers eventually arrested a belligerent Perez, who would later claim he had blacked out after drinking the alcoholic drink Four Loko and didn't remember anything until he woke up in the hospital. A jury later sentenced him to probation."

Probation. Wow. Yeah, that'll certainly help.

Further:

“Over the past two months I have had the opportunity to work the DWI Step program from 2230 to 0430 hours,” Biesenbach wrote, describing the night shift. “During this time I was amazed by the number of wrong way drivers on our inner-city highways. It is not uncommon to have two or more incidents of wrong way drivers a week.”

I know the city has spent a half-million dollars on wrong way flashing signs. What else can be done to deal with this issue?

[smuboy86]

Legitimize ridesharing services like uber and lyft, if people start their night without a car, then the temptation isn't even there at the end when they are drunk. Enforce laws about over serving, if someone comes into a bar that you think is drunk, don't serve them period. Better alcohol awareness education starting in high school and in the community colleges.

[cwcavazos]

I don't have a solution and have only ever lived in Texas, but when I go out with my friends out of state(WA and VA) they are fearful of cops and refuse to risk a DWI. Maybe it's social class... They have a lot to lose. Maybe there are stricter penalties there, but most people I know here are fearless of consequences. They just drink and jump in the car! I don't get the stupidity!

[Bo]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

Legitimize ridesharing services like uber and lyft, if people start their night without a car, then the temptation isn't even there at the end when they are drunk.

That's a red herring, IMO. If you can afford to drink away from home, you can afford a cab.

As the billboards say, a DUI conviction sets the offender back over $10,000. A cab ride is much cheaper than that.

[L210]

I believe it was TxDOT who spent a half a million dollars on those signs. I posted a thread on it a couple of years ago. While Bexar County stands out, Texas as a whole stands out as having a large percentage of traffic fatalities involving alcohol. Texas is on the federal government's list of states that need to do more to toughen DUI laws; we have some of the weakest laws in the country.

[smuboy86]

Originally Posted by Bo

That's a red herring, IMO. If you can afford to drink away from home, you can afford a cab.

As the billboards say, a DUI conviction sets the offender back over $10,000. A cab ride is much cheaper than that.

Not a red herring at all. Under the current "legal" system most people drive to a bar, get drunk then can either drive home, or call a cab, hope one is dispatched, wait, and go home. With ridesharing you take it there, and you take it home, or if you did drive, you request one you know it was received and you can see via GPS where it is and are given an ETA.

[Paka]

While I TOTALLY agree it is a problem and needs to be dealt with, we actually don't even rate in the top 10 cities in the nation according to this article....

Cities With The Most Drunk Drivers | Forbes: Cities With The Most Drunk Drivers | Comcast.net

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Paka

While I TOTALLY agree it is a problem and needs to be dealt with, we actually don't even rate in the top 10 cities in the nation according to this article....

Cities With The Most Drunk Drivers | Forbes: Cities With The Most Drunk Drivers | Comcast.net

I'm not really talking about who has the most DUIs. I would like to know, based on this article, what are their numbers for fatality accidents, especially those with wrong-way driving involved? Just in Texas alone, 40-42% of accidents from 2010-2012 were alcohol related (source: MADD) but I wonder how many of those were wrong-way?

I'm really not looking for contests as to who is #1, I know there are places worse/better. I am genuinely interested in what is behind this horribly real issue here, and what can be done about it.

[clay1]

People who do not care about the life or safety of others are not going to care about whether ride sharing or public transportation is available.

People who choose to drive drunk do so because they are self centered and have no respect for human life. NOT because a lack of cabs or any other excuse.

[Paka]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I'm not really talking about who has the most DUIs. I would like to know, based on this article, what are their numbers for fatality accidents, especially those with wrong-way driving involved? Just in Texas alone, 40-42% of accidents from 2010-2012 were alcohol related (source: MADD) but I wonder how many of those were wrong-way?

I'm really not looking for contests as to who is #1, I know there are places worse/better. I am genuinely interested in what is behind this horribly real issue here, and what can be done about it.

Obviously, stricter laws, more enforcement and the fact that we are the 7th largest city in the nation sprawled out for miles and miles are all issues that plague us as we try and come to terms with such issues and rectify them as a city.

While I do not condone or participate in "DWI" activities (and YES, we DO DRINK!), I can tell you there are many that feel the way we do and want to find any way to curb this problem in the town we call home and love!