Sacramento has 3rd-worst DUI rate in the nation, new survey shows
Traffic safety advocates say Sacramento is suffering a car crash crisis.
A four-car hit-and-run crash happened on Tuesday across from Arden Fair Mall, with one vehicle slamming into a water main. It's just one of the latest suspected drunk driving collisions in Sacramento.
Now, the city is launching a new mapping tool that shows just how many people are getting killed and injured on Sacramento streets.
It comes at a time when new research shows we have some of the highest DUI rates in the nation. the capital city has the third-highest number of people driving under the influence in the U.S. Only Omaha, Nebraska, and San Jose are worse.
Rhonda Campbell with Mothers Against Drunk Driving said there's no excuse for getting behind the wheel while being impaired.
"It is now easier than ever to get a sober ride, no matter what your situation is," Campbell said.
Her sister, Irene, was killed by a drunk driver who was a four-time repeat offender.
"A DUI crash is more than an incident," Campbell said. "It is a lifelong consequence."
The problem extends beyond booze. Some crashes are also caused by prescription drugs and cannabis use.
"It affects reaction time, it affects judgment, it affects so many things that you need to drive a car safely," Campbell said.
Awareness about the DUI crisis is growing. The City of Sacramento's website has a new dashboard that shows every vehicle crash over a ten-year period in which 352 people were killed.
It includes a map showing all DUI-related crashes, with the highest concentration in the downtown and midtown neighborhoods. Each red dot on the map indicates someone who has died.
"Those are not just numbers," Campbell said. "Those are people who had real lives, who had families."
Campbell is also supporting a bill currently in the state legislature that would require first-time DUI offenders to install breathalyzers in their cars that lock the ignition if the person is above the legal limit.
