VivirLatino

State officials and Latino leaders plan to launch a statewide campaign in January that aims to curb drunken driving by Hispanics. Spanish-speaking immigrants make up less than 10 percent of the state’s population, but they accounted for nearly one-quarter of all driving while intoxicated convictions statewide last year.

Why is it that Latinos have such a high percentage of DWI’s in Raleigh, North Carolina even though they constitute only a small percentage of the community? It’s similar to the incarceration rate of African Americans. They constitute about 13 percent of the U.S. population yet make up about 40 percent of the prison population.

In no way am I defending drunk driving but one has to question why this is occurring. I think it’s a great idea that Latino leaders in the area are getting out the word and educating other Latinos on drunk driving but are Latinos really more “macho” and that’s the reason for the high rate of DWI’s? Can it be that we are getting pulled over at a higher rate because of the color of our skin? Is it another case of “driving while brown”?

The effort, which is funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will focus on the Triangle, the Triad and Charlotte markets. It will include short public-service announcement and handouts called photo-novellas that are intended to teach Hispanic immigrants that being “macho” doesn’t have to include drinking and driving.

Via / NBC17