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Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis reminded us of an unpleasant truth Tuesday night: Her office handled 1,257 drunken driving cases in 2018, or about one-third of cases processed last year.
“We still have a major issue with alcoholism in Luzerne County,” the DA added during a presentation to county council.
Yes. Yes we do. And while it may seem like stating the obvious, it needed to be said.
Here’s what else needs to be said: Those 1,257 cases are almost certainly a fraction of the actual drunken-driving that’s actually taking place.
Thanks to law enforcement saturation patrols, we’re catching many, but probably nowhere near all.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1.8 percent of adults in Pennsylvania reported driving after drinking too much in the past 30 days, although that study dates to 2012.
We think that number may be low. How many of us know friends and family who commonly leave the bar “just a little bit buzzed,” and by the grace of God make it home OK?
In this county? Probably most of us. Don’t pretend you don’t recognize that reality.
A study released earlier this week by consumer research website valuepenguin.com found that among large counties in Pennsylvania (defined as having 150,000 people or more), Luzerne ranked fifth for likelihood of being involved in a fatal DUI crash.
ValuePenguin analysts looked at the total number of fatalities caused by DUI-related crashes, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, from 2012 to 2017, and compared DUI fatalities to to U.S.
Based on its analysis, Luzerne County was found to have 2.6 DUI deaths per 100,000 residents — a 39 percent higher DUI death per capita rate than neighboring Lackawanna County.
Monroe County, incidentally, was the deadliest large county, with 4.5 DUI deaths per 100,000 residents.
To put this in more context, in 2017, alcohol-related crashes statewide increased to 10,346 from 10,256 alcohol-related crashes in 2016, according to statistics from the Pennsylvania DUI Association, while alcohol-related fatalities decreased to 293 from 297 in 2016.
Critics might say that these are very low numbers given the population, and therefore a minimal risk.
Of course, that ignores the injuries and trauma suffered by those who survive such crashes, and the pain felt by the families left behind. Then, too, there are the legal and financial consequences.
The question, then, is why so many people continue to feel that driving drunk is an acceptable risk.
For many years, now, police and DUI awareness advocates have promoted the idea of designated drivers.
Meanwhile, thanks to Uber and Lyft, getting home late — even when you live out in the country — is a lot easier than it used to be.
The DA’s presentation reminds us how serious of a problem this is, and we thank her for saying so. Please, folks, don’t chance it.
— Times Leader