THE HIGH COST OF DRINKING AND DRIVING

There are many reasons not to drink and drive.

Nineteen of those reasons are represented by ornaments on a Tree of Memory in the lobby of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. They are the 19 area residents who have died in alcohol-related traffic accidents in the last decade.

Things such as this tree and the red ribbons members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving hand out for people to tie on their antennas are visible ways to make people stop and think, said Bettie Knoll, coordinator of victim services for Cape Girardeau County.

"People who drink alcoholic beverages then get behind the wheel don't think an accident will happen to them," Knoll said. But even one drink can dull judgment and slow reaction time enough to cause an accident, according to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

And during the holidays, people often attend more social events and parties where alcohol is served, said Sgt. J.R. Davis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

"Once people imbibe at these parties, they tend to drive home," Davis said.

No one who drinks then drives is deliberately trying to kill or maim someone, Knoll said. But driving under the influence of alcohol increases your chances of an accident.

"An instant can change your life and everyone else's life," she said.

Statistics back this up:

• While chronic drunk drivers represent only 1 percent of drivers on weekend nights, they represent nearly 50 percent of all fatal crashes at that time, according to the National Commission Against Drunk Driving.
• Drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime, according to MADD.
• About three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives, according to NHTSA.
• The 15,935 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes during 1998 represent an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 33 minutes, according to NCADD.

If the fear of being involved in an accident isn't enough to convince you not to drink and drive, consider the financial burden of a driving while intoxicated conviction.

"Safety is the key issue here, but sometimes people need to see it in terms of dollars and cents," said Greg Trapp, general manager of Progressive Auto Insurance of Missouri. "If they know how a DWI hits them in the wallet, maybe people will think twice before having one more cocktail."

Cape Girardeau attorney Malcolm Montgomery, of Johnson Montgomery and Maguire, Attorneys, estimates a first offense DWI conviction would cost a person at least $1,200, and that includes attorney fees, fines that general range from $250 to $500, court costs and driver's license reinstatement fees.

In Missouri, if a police breath test shows a person has a blood alcohol level of 0.10, that person's driver's license is automatically suspended, Montgomery said. To get driving privileges reinstated, the offender must go through substance abuse and driver's education programs, which cost a minimum of $225.

To fight a DWI case in court, Montgomery said, expect attorney fees of $3,000 to $5,000.

On top of legal fees, add to the cost of a DWI conviction the increased cost of insurance coverage. If not dropped by an insurance company, the convicted driver can expect an increase in premium surcharges as much as 25 percent, according to Trapp.

To discourage driving while intoxicated even more, police departments like Cape Girardeau's want people to know that DWI patrols are stepped up during the holidays.

"We have more patrols, we set up random sobriety check points, we emphasize to our officers to be aware of the signs of DWI," Davis said. "We do this not to arrest more people, through arrests are made. It's more to deter people from drinking and driving."

There are devices on the market that can be used to test blood alcohol levels. Some, like BreathScan (available at www.homedrug-test.com for six for $15.95) involve blowing into a tube full of chemical crystals that change color when alcohol is present. Others, like One Step Alcohol Test (available at www.GuardianAngelonline.com or by calling (877) 422-6435 for two for $7.49), involve putting in your mouth a card that tests saliva.

These tests generally show if your alcohol level is above a certain point, like 0.10, the legal limit in Missouri, or 0.04, the point at which some studies have show people start having an increased risk of an auto accident.

Guardian Angel markets its test not just to drivers, but also to party hosts who want to keep their guests from driving while intoxicated.

Davis, however, is skeptical about such tests.

"Some people are less tolerant of alcohol than others," he said. "For most people even a small amount of alcohol will impair their abilities behind the wheel."

And don't think you can drink some coffee or take a cold shower to sober up.

"Such things just don't work," Davis said. "Only time will get the alcohol out of your system."

And that's a slow process.

On average, Davis said, a person's blood alcohol level will decrease at a rate of about 0.015 per hour. One drink (an ounce of liquor, six ounces of wine, 10 ounces of beer) will bring a 140-pound person's blood alcohol level up to about 0.03), according to the Arnot Ogden Medical Center Web site. So it would take about two hours for the alcohol to leave that person's system.

The easiest way to be sure you are not endangering yourself or anyone else is not to imbibe and drive, Davis said. Have a designated driver, stay at home or spend the night where you are drinking.

"It's not worth it to drink and drive," Davis said.