Comparing States on DUI Stats

According to research by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), a person is killed every 51 seconds in a drunken driving accident, and someone else is injured about every 90 seconds. Those are eye popping numbers. MADD is an organization dedicated to help eliminate drunk driving, support victims of drunk driving accidents, and prevent underage drinking. Their research highlights 5 of the worst states for drunk driving: Wisconsin, South Carolina, Montana, Hawaii, and Texas.

Knocking on Death's Door

Of all the statistics you can read about in DUI cases, it is the fatalities that ultimately have the worst possible outcome. The impact is felt at very deep levels by families and friends. In fact, even taxpayers, who have no relationship with these victims, are also on the hook to help pay the billions of dollars that drunk driving accidents incur. Looking at statistics from a 2012 FAAR (Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility) report, the states with the poorest DUI records reported the following numbers of fatalities:

State: DUI Fatalities 2012:

• Wisconsin: 200

• South Carolina 357

• Montana 90

• Hawaii 51

• Texas 1,296

Arrests for Drinking and then Driving

When comparing the actual number of deaths to the number of arrests in DUI cases, it is very surprising to see that the fatality rates are so low. MADD estimates that about one-third of the drivers that are arrested for drunk driving have previously been arrested for the same crime. With such a high level of public awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving, it is interesting to see such a high rate of DUI arrests. With the majority of DUI arrests being 21 through 25 year olds, a possible factor adding to the statistics is lack of education. For example, knowing that impairment is determined by the level of alcohol drunk over time, and not by the type of alcohol, should make people second guess whether or not to drive after drinking that 6^th bottle of Bud Lite.

State: DUI Arrests 2013:

• Wisconsin: 29,126

• South Carolina 17,906

• Montana 4,418

• Hawaii 879

• Texas 85,436

According to FAAR, 45 states reported a decrease in the rate of DUI fatalities. Organizations like FAAR and MADD have been striving to get stricter DUI laws passed, including measures that legalize sobriety checkpoints (this is still illegal in states like Wisconsin), expansion of alcohol server training programs, and mandatory installation of interlock devices that prevent drunk drivers from operating vehicles among other measures. Even when you are not the person behind the wheel, letting someone who is obviously drunk behind the wheel is also something people can help prevent. Alcohol affects your judgment and depth perception, and most certainly has a huge effect on your motor skills. Should a drunk driver go on to have an accident, not only could they hurt themselves, but they could also hurt others. Letting a person drive off in a drunken state is something we should not promote or allow to happen. Being more proactive against drunk driving can go a long way to ensuring that lives are saved.

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