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DWI Checkpoint Alert Site Is Shameless Permalink comment E-mail
By Charlie Eisenhood   
Thursday, 09 July 2009 12:00
Photo: Greg Sorber / Journal.Journal crime reporter TJ Wilham wrote a startling piece for today's paper about people using text messages to avoid DWI checkpoints.

Some of the article focused on a Web site, DUIBlock.com, that receives tips on checkpoint locations from subscribers (and some police departments that advertise them) and sends alerts out, via text and/or email, to all its subscribers. Here's more from TJ's article:

[Site co-founder Jeff] Rudd said he views his service as a deterrent to drunken driving that can also save lives.

"By us putting out the messages, we are taking a person who may be drunk off the streets and convincing them to call a cab," Rudd said. "When they get that message, they think twice about getting in a car."

So Rudd is trying to convince us that people are paying about five dollars a month to be convinced not to drink and drive. Huh.

Now, I have to admit, DUIBlock.com is capitalism at its purest- a company offering a demanded service that is unavailable. They're probably doing well - the site has 2,000 subscribers across the country.

But don't they feel guilty? They're enabling people to drive drunk and put lives at risk.

In 2002, a government study of DWI checkpoint effectiveness showed that "sobriety checkpoints consistently reduced alcohol-related crashes, typically by about 20%. The results were similar regardless of how the checkpoints were conducted, and results were similar for short-term 'blitzes' or when checkpoints were used continuously for several years. This suggests that the effectiveness of checkpoints does not diminish over time" (emphasis added).

Yet, Albuquerque's arrests per checkpoint have dropped ~50% since 2004 when text message warnings became popular (mostly person to person, not DUIBlock to person). In '04, ABQ police averaged up to 35 arrests per checkpoint. This year, they are only averaging 15-20 arrests.

Disturbing.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 09 July 2009 12:03 )
 
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