FACTS ABOUT DUI AND BAIID's
- In New Mexico, for example, DUI fatalities have been reduced 35% since the state began requiring all convicted DUI offenders to use an ignition interlock device. "Studies have shown alcohol ignition interlocks to be effective in reducing recidivism," concurs Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes. In 2007, an estimated 12,998 people died in drunk driving related crashes—a decline of 3.7 percent from the 13,491 drunk driving related fatalities of 2006.
- Of the approximately 4.2 million people aged 16 to 20 in 2002 and 2003 who reported DUI involving alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year, about four percent (169,000 people) indicated they had been arrested and booked for DUI.
- Over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States.
- One arrest is made for driving under the influence for every 772 episodes of driving within two hours of drinking and for every 88 episodes of driving over the illegal limit in the U.S.
- Only 17 percent of impaired drivers who are injured in crashes are charged and convicted. Eleven percent are charged and not convicted and 72 percent are never charged.
- About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.
- A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 72-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol – about .54 ounces.
- The impact of alcohol involvement increases with injury severity.
- Since 1980 (the year Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded), alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by over 47 percent, from over 30,000 to under 16,000 and MADD has helped save over 358,000 lives.
- Alcohol is society's legal, oldest and most popular drug.A first time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested.
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from 2 to 34 years old