Approximately every 29 minutes, someone is hurt or killed in Texas in a crash involving alcohol. In 2010, there were 1,075 fatalities in Texas due to crashes involving a DUI.
Impaired driving is a serious issue in Texas, and it affects many more than only those involved in drunk driving crashes. The misuse or abuse of alcohol greatly increases the chance of injuries in the workplace and beyond, and American businesses bear much of the costs in higher insurance premiums for employer-based health insurance tied to alcohol problems.
Whether it’s referred to as drunk driving, driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence, impaired driving simply means a person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle is compromised by alcohol and other drugs that change the function of the brain and body.
In 2010, 35.6 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle crashes in Texas involved a driver under the influence of alcohol.
Drunk driving is obviously dangerous, but it also can be extremely costly to your business. Alcohol use is a factor in 39 percent of all work-related crashes. Happy hours and other celebrations among colleagues often can result in sad endings, such as serious injury or death.
In Texas, drivers are legally intoxicated and can be arrested and charged with a DWI with a .08 blood alcohol concentration; however, driving ability can be impaired below the legal alcohol limit. “Buzzed driving” can be just as dangerous as drunk driving because impairment begins with the first drink. Even if there is no .08 BAC reading, an arrest can be made on the observations of the officer using roadside sobriety checks.
49.9 percent of all fatally injured drivers in Texas tested for alcohol had a BAC of at least .08.
A person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle also is compromised by illegal drugs, prescription drugs and even over-the-counter medications. These drugs have the potential to affect an employee’s judgment, depth perception, coordination and reaction time and should be taken seriously.
According to the George Washington University Medical Center, a typical Texas company with 100 employees will feel these effects of alcohol on operations and expenses:
- Among employees and dependents, 22 people will have a drinking problem.
- Two extra workdays will be lost each month, costing an average of $3,466 per year in wages (not including impact on productivity and revenue).
- 31 employees and dependents will be affected by other consequences of alcohol abuse, including impaired driving, depression, violence, arrest and jail.
As an employer, you can help save lives by promoting safe driving on and off the job. Reducing the incidence of impaired driving can be a profitable investment through implementing a company-wide sober driving policy.
Remind employees that not only is it against the law to drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, but sober driving also prevents injuries and deaths.
Sample Sober Driving Policy
Acknowledge the connection between impaired driving and misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and adopt strategies to encourage employees with problems to seek help through Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and drug-free workplace programs.
These programs can result in various benefits for your company, including lower medical costs, reduced turnover and absenteeism and higher employee productivity and morale.
A workplace-based substance abuse prevention program could include:
- Confidential screening and counseling
- Worksite awareness programs
- Web-based information, referrals to treatment
- Recovery support for workers in treatment
- Supervisor training to spot productivity problems
A new video produced by the "Who's Driving Tonight?" campaign details the consequences of impaired driving. It takes a look at the financial, social and work-related consequences involved with impaired driving through modern day practices in a thoughtful and unique way.
Several counties, including Bexar and Harris, have extended the “No Refusal” program on weekends to help prevent drinking and driving throughout Texas. On weekends, judges will be available so law enforcement can obtain warrants to draw blood when drivers refuse to submit to a breath test. These programs began as an effort to curb drinking and driving on holiday weekends, when the problem is more prevalent, but have been extended year-round because of their success.
The Dallas Morning News recently analyzed juvenile court records concerning underage drinking and driving and found startling results. Only 11 juveniles were prosecuted for DWI in Dallas County from 1999 to 2009, even though roughly 850 kids younger than 17 were ticketed for those offenses between 2004 and 2009. In many jurisdictions, the majority of minors charged with drinking and driving end up with tickets for lesser misdemeanors, or in some cases, have the charges dropped altogether. In the past five years, more than 1,500 alcohol-related cases in Dallas municipal court were dismissed.
A series of mini telenovelas aimed at a Hispanic audience aired across Texas Spanish-language stations in November. The telenovelas, which will continue to air throughout 2011, focus on impaired driving in the Hispanic community. Of all 2009 DUI fatalities in Texas, 36 percent occurred in crashes where a Hispanic driver was under the influence of alcohol. TxDOT is one of the first U.S. state agencies to tackle the dangers of drinking and driving through the telenovela format, which is very popular in the Spanish-speaking community.