It has been a while since Twenty-One Debunked has explored in-depth solutions to the perennial and persistent scourge of drunk driving. Today we build on what we have learned and what we have advocated since our founding in 2009.
Enter "Operation Rovin' Eyes", an idea that combines roving patrols (saturation police patrols against DUI), citizen ride-alongs, and reality TV. Decades of research shows that roving patrols work very well at both deterring and catching impaired drivers, with or without sobriety checkpoints. We believe that combining them with ride-alongs will further enhance the effectiveness. Be sure to check the back roads too, and areas that are known for lots of parties and such. And if televised, it would also make a great reality TV show as well, even better than COPS.
(The song "Roving Gangster" by Kid Rock would be a good theme song for such a show.)
Another thing that can be added to this is "Operation Fish in a Barrel", in which a police car is parked outside a bar or club, and the officer(s) watch for signs of intoxication, and waits for the drunk patrons to get to their cars. Then there are two possible tactics. One is to intercept the would-be drunk driver before they put the keys in the ignition, and give them a verbal warning and a free ride home. The other is to wait until after they put the keys in the ignition, and then proceed to bust them for DUI. Either way, they are getting these ticking time bombs off the road for the time being, before they get on the road. And that would of course save countless lives.
(NOTE to non-American readers: in some countries outside the USA, such as Canada, you can still get a DUI even if you have the keys in your pocket and you are within a certain distance from the vehicle.)
And of course, this would be an excellent complement to lowering the drinking age to 18.
So what are we waiting for?
