Does the government really want to decrease the number of drunk drivers?

By Ben Sessions on July 17th, 2021 in DUI / DWI, Personal Injury

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was widely recognized among lawyers that represent people charged with DUI that the number of cases was falling. The practice area was receding. Many of us believe that the practice area will cease to exist in the coming years. That’s a good thing: I don’t want there to be drunk drivers on the road either.

However, during the pandemic, the number of available rideshare drivers dropped substantially, and as crazy as it may seem, I saw the number of DUI calls that I receive increase during the pandemic. With the re-opening of our economy, the number of DUI cases being made is staggering. For most established DUI practitioners the level of DUI cases seems to be at late-1990s to early 2000s levels. So, why has the frequency of DUI cases increased to what seems to be higher levels than pre-pandemic?

The answer seems obvious: rideshare services have limited availability. A few weeks ago, I tried to use Uber to ride from Brookhaven to the Braves game. There were no “regular” Uber rides available. In order to get a ride, we had to use the premium service. There were only a few drivers available within our service area, and the ride costed about $80 one way.

Meanwhile, we’ve been seeing the normal Georgia State Patrol ramp-up in enforcement efforts. The hundred days of HEAT campaign keeps going. There is virtually no effort by the government address the limited availability of driving services in most areas. So, we have to ask if the government indeed wants to cut down on the dangers of drunk driving, or if it is simply lip service and an effort to continue making revenue off the problem?