Reforms Driving More DUI Fatalities?

Do we need experts to tell us “police reforms limiting traffic stops may have contributed to a rise in DUI fatalities” for first time since 2016?

At least some analysts think that may be the case. “You have cities that are actually banning the cops from doing car stops,” Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD detective told Fox News. “So, what do you think is going to happen?”

According to an analysis from Zutobi, “the US recorded 11,654 DUI fatalities in 2020, a rise from 10,142 the year before.” That marks the first time the US crossed 11,000 since 2005 and the first rise in such deaths since 2016. “The reversal comes after the US had seen a steady decline in DUI deaths over the past 35 years. Zutobi co-founder Leo Waldenback viewed the uptick as an “epidemic” possibly related to pandemic depression-induced drinking. But, former NYPD chief Louis Anemone said the new police policies are making matters worse, making it more difficult for police to do their jobs. “If you have 10 collisions with injuries or DUIs at a location, you should get a minimum of 100 traffic summons at that location and you’ll [proactively] drive down the number of accidents.”

Davd Soul