California has seen a dramatic rise in DUI deaths. Drive sober, district attorneys warn
DUI-related crashes and deaths are skyrocketing in California, warned district attorneys across the state on Wednesday.
The number of people driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is also known to increase over the holidays – a concerning trend that prosecutors hoped to help deter with a news conference organized by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
The event started with a startling statistic – a 125% increase in the number of vehicular manslaughter cases involving intoxication between 2020 and 2021 in Sacramento County – and was followed by similarly concerning numbers shared by district attorneys in Fresno, Kern, San Diego, Yolo, El Dorado and Placer counties.
In Fresno County, the combined totals for felony DUI vehicular manslaughter cases, along with felony DUI cases causing injury and repeat offenders, are as follows: 247 in 2019, 282 in 2020, and 274 so far in 2021, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said. (The conflated numbers were first mistakenly presented during the news conference as only covering DUI manslaughter cases.)
“We’re also seeing a significant number of repeat offenders,” Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said. “Our repeat offenders have gone up almost 100 percent who have previously been arrested or convicted of DUI, who are then drinking and driving again.”
Smittcamp said she thinks that has a lot to do with fewer people being incarcerated because of a lack of quarantine space due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with people not getting the help they need, and then repeating the behavior.
Rhonda Campbell, a victim advocate with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, helped give the statistics a face by talking about how her young sister was killed by a drunk driver 40 years ago. Her sister’s body was so badly mangled she had to be identified by the shoes she was wearing.
Prevent more tragic DUI deaths by doing the following, Campbell said: If drinking, have a sober designated driver, or use public transportation or a service like Uber; provide snacks and non-alcoholic options at gatherings; and don’t let others drive while intoxicated.
Smittcamp challenged everyone to take “accountability and responsibility” to prevent DUI driving. “Grab the keys” from intoxicated people and don’t let them drive until sober.
“Not only do we have to be responsible drivers,” Smittcamp said, “but we have to be responsible friends or responsible family members.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 7:32 PM with the headline "California has seen a dramatic rise in DUI deaths. Drive sober, district attorneys warn."
