It can interfere with attention, perceptual functioning and motor skills, as well as in decision making while driving. There are several programs available to help those struggling with alcoholism. Alcohol rehab treatments include alcohol detoxing and inpatient or outpatient programs. You may find yourself faced with hefty fines, expensive legal fees, or bail money. In some states, even first-time offenders must serve jail time and spend up to a week in jail.

In 31 States, police can only give citations for failure to wear safety belts if a vehicle is stopped for another moving violation (i.e., secondary enforcement). Eighteen States have primary enforcement laws that allow police to stop vehicles and give citations when a motor vehicle occupant is not belted. On average, at least 11 percent more motorists wear safety belts in States with primary safety belt laws (i.e., 80 percent compared with 69 percent in other States) (NHTSA 2003c).

Drunk Driving

Higher penalties are given if a test shows the person’s BAC level is 0.15 or more. Impaired driving is just one of the risky behaviors an individual suffering from addiction may do. The abuse of alcohol, coupled with lowered inhibitions, can yield destructive and deadly consequences. Fortunately, there are many treatment options to help an individual recover. Detox, counseling, spiritual treatment, and alcoholism treatment medication may be used to treat an alcohol use disorder. Your designated driver can be a friend in your group or a family member willing to come to pick you up.

• In some countries, non-profit advocacy organizations, a well-known example being Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) run their own publicity campaigns against drunk driving.
• Drivers who are between the ages of 16 and 20 years old are 10 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, than drivers over the age of 21.
• Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination.
• Law enforcement also works to identify motorists impaired by drugs and prescription medication, or some combination of these.
• Men are involved in more alcohol-related car accidents than women (typically three times as often).

Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), and Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) are the criminal classifications of drunk driving. Easier access to public transportation may keep DUI rates in large cities (even those with sizable drinking cultures) below the national average. Cities with the highest rate of DUIs include Cheyenne, Wyoming (277% higher than the national average); Orange, California (194% higher); and Billings, Montana (191% higher). Cities with the lowest DUI rates include New York City (29% lower than the national average) and Chicago (66% lower). While drunk driving fatalities have been nearly cut in half since 1982, driving under the influence (DUI) continues to be a factor in a third of all fatal crashes. One of the biggest drunk driving dangers is the increased likelihood of being in a car accident.

Traffic Crash Deaths and Injuries

Knowing the legal definitions of driving while impaired is vital to ensure you do not get into legal trouble and help you monitor your alcohol consumption for your personal safety and the safety of others. It should be noted that driving while impaired not only applies to alcohol but also applies to driving while being under the influence of other drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, etc. The next time you think about getting behind the wheel after several drinks, consider the dangers of drunk driving. The consequences can be severe and have the ability to change the course of your life. The drunk driver, passengers, bystanders, and drivers of other vehicles are all at risk. Beyond the legal penalties, offenders will also be subject to substantial financial penalties.

These costs may include towing and storage fees, legal fines, and attorneys fees. You may also be required to pay for DUI driver training on your own, and as a result of your DWI or DUI arrest, your insurance fees will skyrocket. Young adults have experienced a greater proportional reduction in alcohol-related traffic deaths than older adults in the last 20 years. Sixteen- to 20-year-olds have had the greatest decline in alcohol-related traffic deaths since 1982, down 56 percent, from 5,244 to 2,329 (see figure 3).

Department of Motor Vehicles

However, the implementation of minimum-drinking-age laws has been shown to save over 30,000 lives. Overall, 21 percent of the driving-age public reported driving a vehicle within 2 hours of consuming alcoholic beverages in the previous year, and about 10 percent of these trips were consequences of drinking and driving driven at a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher. In general, people who drive after drinking believe they can consume up to three drinks in a 2-hour period and still drive safely. Those who do not drink and drive think their limit is about one-third less, or two drinks (Royal 2000).