DUI Overview: Hot Topics and Grantee Programs

OTS plans to conduct the nation's first statewide survey of teen seat belt use. Seat belts are the single most effective motor vehicle occupant safety device yet developed for older children and adults. OTS will also expand statewide seat belt enforcement and outreach to age groups who are not buckling up, with a special focus on teens.

We will also expand our efforts to increase sobriety checkpoints and lead innovative efforts targeting repeat DUI offenders and hardcore drunk drivers, including warrant service patrols, court sting operations, and stakeouts to capture those multiple DUI offenders and hardcore drinking drivers who violate probation or fail to appear in court.

OTS will propose a regional comprehensive "Closing the Loop" approach to intervention directed at the "Hardcore Drunk Driver" and “Repeat DUI Offender.” This effort will be a grassroots community-based coalition to include law enforcement, local and state government, superior court, city attorney, district attorney, probation, assessment, assignment, monitoring, tracking and the health care systems for appropriate treatment and rehabilitation. In addition, we will rely heavily on social marketing as well as media advocacy to achieve the desired results. OTS will also determine the feasibility of DUI-only courts to better process and monitor DUI arrestees.

Additionally, OTS will expand our successful high school programs aimed at effectively reaching young people in meaningful and impactful ways. This includes the "Every 15 Minutes," “Seat Belt Challenge,” “Real DUI Court in Schools,” and “Reality Check”. In addition to the expansion of our high school programs, OTS will broaden the reach of our middle school programs, including those which conduct the actual sentencing part of a DUI trial on campus in front of students. OTS will also look to create more “Youthful Visitation Programs” and "Victim Impact Panels.” It is through the expansion of these reality-based programs that we can realize the most impact.