It makes sense that driving a heavy vehicle after
drinking heavily can be deadly. Participants of the 2003 National DUI
Enforcement Symposium learned first-hand just how deadly such behavior
really is. Amidst the wealth of information shared by keynote speaker Dr.
Jeffrey Michael, Director of the Impaired Driving and Occupant Restraint
Division at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was the fact
that in 2002, the largest increase in alcohol related crashes came from
drivers of SUVs. Alcohol related crashed among this group increased by 11%.
Additionally, Dr. Michael pointed out that in 87% of the alcohol related
crashes, blood alcohol levels were higher than .08. Interestingly, the
number of DUI fatalities increased in 2002, but injuries decreased. Because
it was the third year in a row that DUI fatalities increased, Dr. Michael
called on law enforcement officials to take a leadership role in reversing
the trend. Northwestern University Center for Public Safety officials
promised to make all of their resources available to assist in the effort.
"The Center is particularly pleased to serve as the focal point for a
renewed interest in DUI," said Director Alexander Weiss, Ph.D. Dr. Weiss's
statistical snapshot showed nationwide DUI arrests decreasing from a peak in
the 1980s, and participants learned about successful law enforcement
strategies from Tennessee, Washington, Illinois, Ohio, and New York. They
also learned strategies for effective testimony, and they received a
poignant reminder of who loses when motorists drive under the influence.
Several speakers had lost a brother, child, or other relative to DUI. Former
MADD President Millie Webb received a standing ovation after she told the
heart-wrenching story of the loss of her two young children, and thanked
everyone for their tireless efforts in keeping DUI offenders off the roads.
The consensus among participants was that DUI is a reemerging issue that
cannot be ignored. "I've been getting ideas from other departments that we
may implement," said Major Bryan Wauke, Honolulu Police Department. Wauke
said he was especially interested in the school presentations offered by the
Buffalo Grove, Illinois and Naperville, Illinois police departments.
The Center would like to extend a special thanks to the Century Council for
its sponsorship. Because of the success of the initial conference, the
Center planned to host a DUI Conference again the next year.
View Powerpoint Presentation on the web
Download Powerpoint Presentation file (ZIP)
|
Name |
Title |
PowerPoint |
|
Opening Address |
|
Alexander Weiss, Ph.D. |
Director, Northwestern University Center for
Public Safety |
|
|
Keynote Address |
|
Dr. Jeffrey Michael Ed.D. |
Director, Impaired Driving & Occupant
Protection Division, NHTSA |
|
|
Special Speaker |
|
Susan Molinari |
Chairman, Century Council |
|
|
Law
Enforcement Perspectives |
|
Chief Ronal W.
Serpas |
Washington State Patrol |
|
|
Lt. Thomas Kuroski |
Traffic Safety & Training Unit, Chicago
Police Department, IL |
|
|
Sergeant Steve Husak |
Buffalo Grove Police Department, IL |
|
|
Kenneth Morckel |
Director, Ohio Department of Public Safety |
|
|
Inspector John A. Sassano |
Commanding Officer, Highway Division,
NYPD |
|
|
Sgt. James Bedell |
Naperville Police
Department, IL |
|
|
Enforcement Technology |
|
Thomas E. Page |
Drug Recognition Consultant, LAPD (ret.) |
|
|
John V. Moulden |
President, National
Commission Against Drunk Driving |
|
|
Ignition Interlock Devices |
|
Jane Valenzia |
Research Associate, Driver Safety Research - Maryland
Motor Vehicle Administration |
|
|
Roy E. Lucke |
Director, Research & Development,
NUCPS |
|
|
Public
Policy Perspectives |
|
William P. Georges |
Senior Vice President for
Programs, Century Council |
|
|
Millie
I. Webb |
Mothers
Against Drunk Driving (MADD) |
|
|
Stephen Wallace |
Chairman & CEO,
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) |
|
|
Legal
Issues |
|
James H. Hedlund Ph.D. |
Associate Administrator Traffic Safety Programs,
NHTSA (ret.) |
|
|
Michelle M. Fields |
General Counsel,
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety |
|
|
Honorable Jeff Ford |
Sixth Judicial Circuit, Urbana, IL |
|
|
Paul Logli |
State Attorney, Winnebago County, IL
|
|
|
Edward M. Maloney |
Ahern, Maloney and
Moran, Skokie, IL |
|
|
Sobriety Checkpoints |
|
Lt. Robert Brown |
Tennessee Highway Patrol |
|
|
Chief
Michael N. Geraci |
Schenectady Police Department, NY |
|
|
Chronic Offenders / Youth & Alcohol |
|
Robert B. Voas, Ph.D. |
Senior Research
Scientist, Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation |
|
|
