DUI-The Facts
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates about 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some time in their lives.
In 2004 Nationwide there were 16,664 alcohol-related fatality accidents or 39% of total traffic fatalities for the year. In Kansas there were 461 fatalities in 2004 and 148 were alcohol related or 37% of total fatalities. In Wichita there were 24 fatality accidents and 12 of those were alcohol-related for a total of 50%. As you can see, our community is higher than the state and national averages. Also the statistics reported here only constitute fatality accidents. There are hundreds of thousands of accidents nationally in which people are injured in alcohol-related accidents. The average is about one person injured in an alcohol-related accident every 2 minutes.
On October 11, 1997 Officer Summer Langford, a two year veteran of the department, had finished her tour of duty as a second shift patrol officer for the Patrol West Bureau. She told her fiancé, a third shift officer good night then left the station to go home. As she drove through an intersection less than a mile from her home she was struck broadside by another car that was traveling at a high rate of speed and ran the red light slamming Officer Langford's car into a sign post killing her. Her fellow officers responded to the scene, but there was nothing they could do. The driver of the car that hit her, a college student, had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .086%. Having received only minor injuries he was treated and later arrested. On March 13, 1998 he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and is serving a 43 month prison sentence.
This story plays out many times each day subjecting families and friends to not only the loss of a loved one, but the knowledge their loss was a result of the irresponsible actions of another person. It's time to stop these senseless tragedies.
The Law
Ordinance 11.38.150 of the Code of the City of Wichita states:
No person shall operate or attempt to operate any vehicle within the city while:
- The alcohol concentration in the person's blood or breath, as measured within two hours of the time of operating or attempting to operate a vehicle is .08 or more;
- Under the influence of alcohol to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving a vehicle;
- The alcohol concentration in the person's blood or breath as shown by any competent evidence is .08 or more;
- Under the influence of any drug or combination of drugs to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving a vehicle; or
- Under the influence of a combination of alcohol and any drug or drugs to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving a vehicle.
The Campaign
"CALL 911 if you see a Drunk Driver" is a campaign organized by Officer Langford's parents in her memory to increase awareness of drunk driving and encourage citizens to report suspected drunk drivers to law enforcement. In addition it is their hope as well as the desire of all law enforcement officers to encourage people who chose to drink to do so responsibly and not attempt to drive after consuming drugs or alcohol. This can be accomplished by either using a designated driver or calling a cab. It's important to plan ahead because your ability to think objectively and reasonably will be substantially impaired after consuming drugs or alcohol. Many persons believe they drive better after they have been drinking because they believe they are more alert and paying more attention. However, study after study has shown this is simply not true. Alcohol and drugs dramatically slow an average person's reaction time as it depresses the central nervous system. Persons who have consumed alcohol, because of this false sense of alertness, tend to take unnecessary chances and in effect put themselves and others at an even greater risk. So, do the responsible and mature thing and don't drink and drive and if you see someone driving you suspect is drunk, CALL 911. It could be your loved one whose life you save.