Enhanced Drinking Driver Program to Target Causes of DUI

ALBANY, NY (11/23/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo, in collaboration with Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner David J. Swarts, today have announced new training designed to reduce impaired driving, prevent continued high-risk drinking and provide an intervention and referral to treatment for those suffering from an addiction.

Governor David A. Paterson said, "This new curriculum comes appropriately at the start of the holiday season when New Yorkers must all be aware of the dangers of driving while impaired. This agency partnership will help us prevent impaired driving, provide individuals with the help they need for substance use problems, and make the roadways safer for all holiday travelers."

The new Drinking Driver Program (DDP) will now be a part of all Drinking Driver Programs across the state. Participation in DDP can be either court mandated or voluntary for New Yorkers who are convicted of an impaired driving related offense defined within section 1192 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. Voluntary enrollment in DDP is sought in exchange for a conditional driver's license from DMV.

OASAS Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo said, "We know this curriculum will save lives in New York. It will help prevent the continued behavior of driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs and offer treatment to those suffering from an addiction."

DMV Commissioner Swarts said, "We are pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with OASAS in developing a program that will better serve its constituency. As we go forward, we will continue to design improved programs that better address these critical issues while at the same time improves highway safety."

Impaired driving continues to be a public health and safety concern for all New Yorkers. According to DMV, at least 83,000 impaired driving episodes occur daily on New York roads and 19 percent of New York drivers involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher. The total number of impaired driving related crashes in 2008 was 9,202 in New York.

In addition, over the past decade in New York State, there were more than 206,000 drivers convicted of DWI. Nearly 33,000 of those drivers had two or more DWI convictions, and more than 5,000 had three or more convictions, according to statistics provided by DMV. During this period, DWI recidivists accounted for 16 percent of the total number of drivers with DWI convictions.

The new Drinking Driver Program (DDP) curriculum is developed around New York State specific law and traffic safety-related information, as well as Prevention Research Institute's (PRI) PRIME For Life (PFL) curriculum, a nationally recognized, evidenced-based program.

Best practices from the substance abuse field are woven throughout the program to promote behavior change and reduce risk for problems; ultimately reducing the number of people choosing to drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and intervene with those at high risk of developing an addiction. The DDP is part of the state's effort to reduce personal and property losses caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

OASAS received a three-year grant from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) to support the implementation of the new DDP curriculum as well as two other initiatives: training for professionals who provide clinical screening and assessment services to impaired driving offenders, and development of an online reporting and data collection system.

OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services systems dedicated to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, with more than 1,550 programs serving over 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day.

Addiction is a chronic disease, but New Yorkers need to know that help and hope is available. Individuals can get help by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day a week HOPEline, 1-877-8-HOPENY, staffed by trained clinicians ready to answer questions, help refer loved ones to treatment and provide other vital resources to facilitate that first step into recovery.

For more information, please visit www.oasas.state.ny.us.

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