“new technologies can save thousands of lives”

Every 78 seconds, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash in the United States. Two years ago, nine-year-old Angel became part of these statistics.

In August 2022, the life of her mother, Juliana Farides Salas, changed in a matter of seconds. His son died in a crash caused by a drunk person driving more than 119 miles per hour in New York City.

“My son was sleeping in the back of the car in his chair and his father was driving. The drunk driver hit the car and my son was critically injured and did not survive. He was pronounced dead on August 24, 2022 and later his organs were donated to save the lives of three people. My son died, but he died like a hero,” recalls this Colombian mother full of nostalgia, who claims to have been left “heartbroken” with her husband.

Moved by pain and the desire that the tragedy not be repeated, Juliana decided to be part of the organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD in English) that since 1980 has been working to prevent more deaths caused by people who drive under the influence of alcohol. and/or drugs in the United States.

According to a recently released report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes involving drunk drivers killed more than 13,000 people for the second consecutive year in USA.

But, according to MADD, these tragedies could be avoided simply by implementing the HALT Act.

What does the law say?

Thanks to the efforts of MADD along with other organizations, the US Congress passed the bipartisan HALT Act on November 15, 2022. The legislation gives the federal government the power to require that all new cars come equipped with smart technology that detects the alcoholic breath and stop the vehicle.

But, its implementation must comply with a process that is delayed even though it has the support of legislators, along with organizations such as MADD, the automobile insurance sector and even the alcoholic beverage industry itself, support expressed through of various public letters.

The law directs the US Department of Transportation to complete a rulemaking process to determine what type of technological solution is chosen. These regulations should have been established on November 15, 2024.

Due to this delay in the process, MADD, along with a group of mothers and survivors, held a vigil in the US capital to raise their voices about the importance of making decisions as soon as possible and implementing regulations in the manufacture of new vehicles.

This smart technology is unrelated to police breathalyzers or ignition interlock devices that require the driver to actively blow into a device, but instead uses sensors built into a car to determine whether the person behind the wheel is intoxicated.

“Congress has sent a clear (and bipartisan) message to the Department of Transportation that anti-drunk driving technology should be standard equipment in vehicles, just like airbags, seat belts, and restraints.” rearview cameras. New technologies that recognize alcohol impairment already exist and are available and can help save more than 10,000 lives a year,” said Stephanie Manning, director of government affairs for MADD.

For Juliana, the reason why this law is not implemented yet is “money.” “Implementing the HALT law represents an additional cost. The cost calculations have already been made and the changes would increase the costs of the manufacturers, but how much money is a life worth? That cannot be said. “A life is precious, a life is priceless,” says this mother-turned-activist.

A look at Latin America

Although driving under the influence is a crime in both the United States and most countries in Latin America, punishments, regulations, and permitted blood alcohol levels can vary from country to country and even region to region. .

To give you an idea, in Mexico City the regulations order an arrest of 20 to 36 hours for any person who is detained driving a vehicle with a level of 0.8 grams of alcohol per liter of blood, the equivalent of four cans of beer or half a bottle of wine.

The same thing happens in the US, where in most states the allowed limit is 0.08%. Only Utah has adopted a lower level as the allowable limit, which amounts to 0.05%.

In Nicaragua, the law establishes a detention of up to 48 hours for drunk drivers and a penalty of up to 10 years in prison if the driver causes the death of someone. Added to this is the imposition of fines.

In the case of Peru, sanctions have become stricter in recent years. The law establishes that driving while intoxicated is a serious offense that can lead to fines, suspension and/or cancellation of the driver’s license and even imprisonment.

It should be noted that Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are among the strictest nations with zero tolerance regarding blood alcohol levels allowed when driving.

“There are many decisions we can make and government-level measures that can be taken, but ultimately each person has the power to make the best decision in their lives: Do not drive drunk. We do not have power over other people’s decisions, but we do have the power to come together to make our voices heard and make decisions that can save millions of lives,” concluded Juliana Farides.

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