The United States has a unique history with drunk
driving, but it is worth taking a few moments to look at the experiences of
other nations. Drunk driving
is as old as the invention of the automobile and poses a problem everywhere. Many
interesting facts and debacles have erupted from the issue of drunk driving. Nations
across the world have responded differently to the unique facets of drunk
driving. From other nation's triumphs and failures, we can better understand the
societal and economic forces that promote such behavior.
Columbia
In 2013, a number
of grisly drunk driving incidents rocked
Columbia and provided the impetus for a radical change in the way the Columbian
police punish inebriated driving. Much like the Americans, Columbians did not
think much about drunk driving in the beginning. There was little to no stigma,
especially in the rural places where driving is a necessity. This does not mean
urban places were immune from the troubles caused by influenced driving. Zona
Rosa del Sur, a party district in Bogota, was notorious for the sheer amount of
drunk driving incidents that occurred there on weekends.
The country sought to bring the issue front and center
by launching a mass media campaign to change the way Columbians think of drunk
driving. The campaign was by-all-metrics successful, but as, mentioned above in
2013 notable drunk driving incidents caught national headlines. These headlines
lead politicians to enact laws that more severely punished offenders. The idea
was the more severe punishment would deter Columbians from making the
potentially deadly decision to get behind the wheel under the influence.
The new punishments imposed were tremendous. Any
person caught drunk driving for the first time would be given a fine of $880.
This may not seem stiff to Americans, but in Columbia the minimum monthly wage
is $300 a year. Due to a very high economic inequality rate, most Columbians
would be dealt a severe economic blow from which it would be difficult to recover
from if they were caught drunk driving even once. This shows the seriousness with
which the Columbian government takes the issue of drunk driving. Third time offenders
with high-volumes of alcohol in their system will be fined nearly $15, 000 and
will suffer the revocation of the individual’s license for twenty-five
years.
Poland
Poland has one of the worst road safety ratings in the
European Union and this is in large part due to the prevalence of influenced driving
there. In response to this issue, the Prime Minister of Poland announced legislative
changes to require greater penalties for those caught driving drunk. Before the
Prime Minister’s announcement, Polish drunk drivers would get almost
exclusively fined or suspended sentences even for repeat offenders. The new
reforms will see repeat offenders receive jail time. The leader also signaled
that Polish officials will eventually consider making ignition breathalyzer
mechanisms mandatory for every vehicle in Poland.
One specific incident in Poland became the posterchild
for enforcing more severe standards and fines. In January of 2014, a drunk
driver lost control of his vehicle and careened into a group of pedestrians.
The driver killed six people including one child. This incident brought the
issue to the forefront and the attention of the Polish people. Currently in
Poland, the more severe punishments passed overwhelmingly
back in 2015. As in Columbia, the more severe punishments and the
stigmatization of drunk driving by the media and society-at-large has led to great
improvement nationwide.
Interesting
Tidbits from Other Nations
The examples of Columbia and Poland are very familiar
to us in America. Media campaign and notable incidents raise awareness and stigmatize
the act of inebriated driving. Then, legislation follows making punishments
more severe. However, other countries have done things that might sound less
familiar to us here. For example, Australia publishes the name of those drunk drivers
who maim or kill people due to their negligence. This naming goes on for weeks
and is meant to promote the shaming of those whose negligence results in maiming.
Similar things have been done in the United States, particularly in Texas were
public shaming has been used before to deter drunk driving.
Something that is completely foreign to us is the idea
of punishing others, not involved in the incident. In Malaysia, when an individual
is caught drunk driving their spouse can be in just as much trouble as the
driver. The idea behind this law is that drunk driving is a crime that effects innocent
people. Therefore, the law is justified in effecting an innocent person in
connection to the individual who committed the crime. This is an extreme example,
but drunk driving not only violates the law of man in Malaysia. The consumption
of alcohol in-general is disallowed in Malaysia. Malaysia is an Islamic country
and alcohol violates Sharia law. The consumption of alcohol is considered “haram”
or against the teaching of Islam.
Turkey and Saudi Arabia also have more severe
punishments for driving under the influence than the United States. In Turkey,
drunk drivers can face big fines and serious jail time. They can also face
periods of intense and intrusive monitoring and be forced to walk twenty miles
home from the police station the night they were caught. Saudi Arabia does the
same as Turkish police, but they add the potential for flogging. The government
reserves the ability to flog people for getting caught drunk driving. These
extra punishments are justified there because these offences also offend their religious
laws and are thereby considered even more serious than they are here.
Takeaways
Although no silver bullets exist in combatting drunk
driving, it seems the greatest lesson from international experience is that the
most important thing is attention to the issue. Media campaigns are the real
heroes of this issue. Fines and punishments are an important element to deter drunk
driving, but media attention and educational programs are the crucial
ingredient in limiting drunk driving rates. Some other nations widely differ in
the way they punish drunk driving, but it seems that the vast majority of the
world has come to a place where drunk driving is a recognized public safety
issue. This might not seem like a big deal, but the recognition of drunk
driving as something that needs to be condemned and regulated was not always a
given.
