Drunk Driving Effects on Local Community
A 747 airplane holds 455 people. In 2019, if 22 and a half airplanes fell out of the sky, and everyone on those planes died, it would equal the same amount of people who lost their lives in accidents involving drunk or impaired drivers that same year.
10,142 people lost their lives, “but if you add family and friends of those victims to that number, you have so many more people affected,” says Lieutenant Mel Bruschetti. He has been a police officer for 19 years and has been promoting drunk driving prevention since day one.
As the years progressed, Lieutenant Bruschetti attended more specialized training in drunk driving prevention. “[This] only motivated me more, gave me more confidence and knowledge of what to look for and try to make the roadway safer,” he says.
While also being the most populous municipality in Dutchess County, the Town of Poughkeepsie leads the county out of all municipalities in alcohol related crashes. In 2020, there were 20 alcohol related crashes: 11 of which resulted in property damage, eight involved personal injury, and there was one fatality.
Lieutenant Bruschetti says many people who are arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) are unaware they are drunk. “You might think you’re okay to drive,” he continues, “but your judgment is also impaired by the substance you consumed.”
Most people arrested for DWI are in their mid 30s. While there are people arrested outside of this age range, mid-thirties seems to be the most common. Despite common belief that these arrests only happen in the early morning hours, Lieutenant Bruschetti explains that it’s a 24/7 operation. “I’ve personally made arrests for DWI first thing in the morning,” he says.
When COVID hit in 2020, national drunk driving statistics rose despite the stay-at home order. That year, traffic on the roadways went down 11%, but in that same time frame the amount of impaired driving accidents went up by 14%. “People were driving less, but alcohol and drug related driving increased,” said Lieutenant Bruschetti.
Stuck at home with nothing to do, many people would turn to driving to manage the stressful time. Others would go to a friend’s house and drink. Lieutenant Bruchetti speculates that as people pour their own drinks, the alcohol content is unknown, and they get back in the car not knowing how much they truly drank.
Although drunk driving is still a prominent issue in the Poughkeepsie community, there does seem to be some improvement in statistics for repeat offenders. With all the penalties in place for those convicted of impaired driving in the state of New York, in 2019 just under 10% of those convicted are convicted again. In comparison to the 33% of repeat offenders in 2009, this is a huge change.
“People are just more aware of drunk driving than they used to be,” says Lieutenant Bruschetti. It is much less socially acceptable to drink and drive now than it was in previous years. The penalties are more severe, and high-profile cases across the country involving innocent victims have changed public opinion significantly.
Individuals who are arrested for impaired driving experience a huge change in their lives. They may have trouble finding a job, face financial and relationship issues, as well as embarrassment. But eventually, for them, life will go on.
“For the two people [who died in Poughkeepsie impaired driving accidents], the families of those victims have not recovered and probably will not recover for the rest of their lives,” says Lieutenant Bruschetti. And that feeling never goes away.
