Effective measures include:

• Actively enforcing existing 0.08% BAC laws, minimum legal drinking age laws, and zero tolerance laws for drivers younger than 21 years old in all states.
• Promptly taking away the driver's licenses of people who drive while intoxicated.
• Using sobriety checkpoints.
• Putting health promotion efforts into practice that influence economic, organizational, policy, and school/community action.
• Using community-based approaches to alcohol control and DWI prevention.
• Requiring mandatory substance abuse assessment and treatment, if needed, for DWI offenders.

Other suggested measures include:

• Reducing the illegal BAC threshold  to 0.05%.
  
• Raising state and federal alcohol excise taxes.
  
• Mandatory blood alcohol testing when traffic crashes result in injury.

What safety steps can individuals take?

Whenever your social plans involve alcohol, make plans so that you don’t have to drive after drinking. For example:

• Prior to any drinking, designate a non-drinking driver when with a group.
• Don’t let your friends drive impaired. Take their keys away.
• If you have been drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi.
• If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver; offer alcohol-free beverages; and make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.