Drinking – Driving – Facts

Drinking and driving is simply a bad decision that can have hugely negative results. In this article, we take a look at the facts surrounding drinking and driving in modern society.

Drinking and driving is a major problem these days. State governments have sought to fight the problem by passing painful penalties for people convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or driving while impaired. All indications are these penalties have made a big difference. Regardless, let’s get to the drinking and driving facts.

• Since 2002, it has been illegal per se to drive with a blood alcohol content level of .08 percent or higher. This is known as a DUI case.
• You can be charged with a DWI even if your blood alcohol level is below .08 percent, but it appears you are driving while impaired.
• DUIs and DWIs can be issued for any moving vehicle including bicycles and boats.
• Sitting in a car with the engine idling while drunk is enough to constitute a DUI charge. It does not matter that the car is not moving.
• 26,173 people died in alcohol related accidents in 1982. This represented roughly 60 percent of all automobile related deaths.
• 15,387 people died in alcohol related accidents in 2007. This represented roughly 37 percent of all automobile related deaths.
• Texas had the most drinking and riving related deaths [1,544] of any state in 2006.
• Alaska had the least of any state for the same year with 23.
• Over 1.46 million people were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2006. This represents roughly 1 in every 140 drivers.
• In 2008, a person was killed by a drunk driver roughly once every 45 minutes.
• The annual cost of drinking and driving related expenses from crashes to hospital bills to police resource use is over 51 billion dollars a year.

The above drinking and driving facts just scrape the surface of this societal problem. The cost of a DUI both emotionally and financially is extreme. Either avoid drinking or spend the nominal amount it takes to get a cab ride home. Don’t put your and other people’s lives at risk. It isn’t worth it as the above facts show.

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