Federal laws prohibit driving under the influence, but they do not prevent drunk-driving tragedies, and people who choose to drive drunk set themselves up to cause harm.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drunk-driving incidents kill around 29 people daily across the United States, one every 52 minutes. The annual toll is more than 10,000 deaths.
“Drinking and driving is [a] dangerous, normalized crime that has plagued societies for decades,” SQ resident Chris Rigsby said. “Every day on the news you see persons victimized because of someone’s careless [choice] to drive impaired.”
December is DUI Awareness month. While there are many reasons to celebrate during the holidays, choosing to drink as part of those celebrations means drinking responsibly.
According to California Highway Patrol’s State Integrated Traffic Records System, there were more than 125,000 DUI arrests in the state in 2023, an average of 340 per day. More than 200,000 DUI-related crashes killed more than 4,000 people and injured almost 280,000.
Chris Rigsby is serving a life sentence for vehicular homicide while intoxicated. He has been in recovery since 2016 and currently facilitates a DUI program that educates participants about the dangers and realities of impaired driving. Rigsby is a certified Addiction Recovery Counsel peer-mentor and works in substance abuse recovery support groups.
“An impaired driving collision is not an accident,” Rigsby said. “By one person’s choice to drive while intoxicated, lives are irreparably damaged.”
With its population of more than 40 million and extensive network of highways, California’s DUI statistics are greater than the national average. Additionally, culture and lifestyles involving social events that often involve alcohol and drug use contribute to the state’s relatively high rate of DUI incidents.
Awareness and education are of prime importance. DUI laws in California may seem harsh to some. They can involve fines, license suspension, jail time, and even the installation of an ignition interlock device, all legal consequences unknown to many.
“Several people have told me the DUI class the state offered lacked connection [and was not] relatable. [It’s] as if they are going through the motions, instead of hammering home the danger of driving impaired,” Rigsby said. Several San Quentin residents said they were not educated about how intoxication severely impairs cognitive abilities.
For a first time DUI offender, the state mandates a three-month DUI education program designed to reduce repeat offenses, along with a possible six-month suspended license. A second offense results in 96 hours in jail, and for a third offense the minimum sentence increases to 120 days jail time.
However, if you kill someone while you are under the influence, and with a prior DUI, you can receive a 15-years-to-life sentence under California’s Watson Murder law. The law deems that a person knew the dangers of their actions and consciously chose to carry out the act with conscious disregard for human life.
Impaired driving is a 100% preventable crime that only occurs following a series of choices. The first choice is deciding not to plan for a sober ride when you know you are going to drink, then choosing to have the drink, and then choosing to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Over the last 10 years, several rideshare organizations have formed to aid persons who choose to be responsible by not driving after drinking. Other responsible choices include leaving your keys with someone you trust and associating with individuals who value their own safety and the safety of others on the road.
According to CDC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,775 people died in crashes involving a driver with blood alcohol content below the legal limit of .08.
“A responsible person does not put others or themselves in dangerous situations. Instead they make a plan before they go out and drink,” Rigsby said.