In an effort to keep impaired drivers off the road, judges in Acadia, Lafayette, and Vermilion parishes can offer those with first or second offense DWI convictions to be screened for substance abuse or a mental health disorder.
“It’s part of that real positive effort to try to get people ahead of the point where they are in full-blown addiction down the road,” said executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, Lisa Freeman.
Freeman said screening impaired drivers for the presence of substance use, or a mental health disorder is a proven impaired driver countermeasure.
“This allows the judge to make decisions about how to handle this person, and if they do not have a substance use disorder then how wonderful to screen for that,” said Freeman.
If an offender is found to have a substance use problem a condition of sentencing could be seeking treatment for their addiction. Freeman said that’s a win-win for everyone.
“It helps judges, and it helps the offenders. The judges get to make better decisions and that will enhance the probability that these people won’t be back in front of that judge or some other judge,” said Freeman.
Freeman said alcohol is involved in 40% of all traffic fatalities in Louisiana.
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