Law enforcement needs public's help to battle drunken driving

Opinion/Frontiersman editorial board

The Alaska State Troopers are once again stepping up their efforts in an attempt to gain some control over what has become a troubling New Year's tradition -- drunken driving.

Accidents caused by drunken drivers increase during the holidays, and New Year's Eve is one of the worst nights for drunken-driving incidents across the country. The fact that it is predictable enough that law enforcement organizations have worked out campaigns, and the fact that those efforts produce tangible results, speak to the gravity of the problem.

Unfortunately, that predictability doesn't seem to have made much of an impression upon those who continue to drink and drive. The dangers are known; the tragic results are all too familiar. Still, either from overconfidence or casual disregard, many people choose to drive drunk. We have come to expect to hear the statistics after the holiday, and we're not as surprised as we ought to be when a drunken driver causes a tragic accident.

The consequences caused by driving drunk can be tragic, and they are rarely limited to the drunken driver -- innocent people often pay the dearest price.

Perhaps part of the problem is that it is a difficult crime to prevent, and when drunken drivers are caught, the system is so overburdened that they are not punished as severely as they should be. Law enforcement agencies find themselves shorthanded in many cases, and the criminal justice system faces a daunting caseload that leaves prosecutors to focus most of their energy on more serious crimes.

As a result, drunken drivers, even when they are caught, are often quickly back out on the street. And the worst offenders continue to drive, and drive drunk, even when their licenses are suspended or revoked. Even repeat offenders seem to be confident that their punishment will be light.

The stepped-up law enforcement efforts around the holidays are a great first step in battling this serious problem, but the entire system has to step up its efforts, and the public must play its part, too. Everything in our community is growing and we should expect, and, in fact, demand, that the ranks of local law enforcement, prosecutors and judges grow to keep pace.

Without tangible and enforced penalties for drunken driving, the problem will remain a serious concern in our community. Please have a happy, and safe, New Year's celebration.