Featured News 2013 Who is Most At-Risk to DUI Crashes?

Who is Most At-Risk to DUI Crashes?

All drivers out on the road are at risk to being involved in a DUI accident, regardless of whether or not they are intoxicated. This is part of the reason that law enforcement is so adamant about getting drunk drivers off the streets. They put innocent drivers at risk to serious accidents and injuries because of their negligence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at all levels of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a DUI accident is higher for younger people than older people.

This is partially because teens tend to think it is okay to drink and drive. Also, teenagers don't want to ask their parents to come pick them up from a party or a get-together if they are intoxicated, because they risk a lecture and punishment for their actions. For this reason, teens are more likely to decide to drive even if they are not legally in the right frame of mind to do so.

The CDC discovered that in alcohol-related crashes in 2010, one out of every three drivers with a BAC of 0.08% or higher was between the ages of 21 and 24. This averaged out to about 34% of all individuals involved in these crashes. The next two largest groups were ages 25 to 34 (30%) and 35 to 45 (25%.)

Motorcyclists are also at risk to serious DUI accidents. Among motorcyclists killed in fatal crashes in 2010, about 28% of them had a BAC of 0.08% or higher. About half of all alcohol-impaired motorcyclists that are killed every year are over the age of 40, and those between the ages of 40 and 44 have the highest percentage of deaths with BACs of 0.08% or greater.

Also at risk to DUI crashes are those that have already been arrested and charged for driving while impaired. Drivers with a BAC of 0.08% or higher involved in fatal crashes were four times more likely to have a prior conviction for DWI than were drivers with no alcohol in their system. A lot of these tragic DUI crashes can be prevented through the right tactics. When police actively enforce 0.08% BAC laws, minimum legal drinking age laws, and zero tolerance laws for drivers that are under the age of 21 this can lower the number of DUI crashes in the area.

Also, communities can limit their DUI crashes by advocating for license suspension in the event that a driver is intoxicated. If police also use sobriety checkpoints to hold individuals accountable, and require mandatory substance abuse assessment and treatment for DUI offenders, these efforts may be able to lower the DUI rate in the community. Also, the police in various locations should work towards community-based approaches to alcohol control and DWI prevention, and should use health promotion efforts that influence economic, organizational, policy, and community school action.

While it is important to work towards DUI prevention, some states may take things too far or may prosecute relentlessly. As a result, they may be charging individuals with crimes despite the fact that they are innocent. Sometimes breathalyzers may not work, of police may rely on the evidence gathered from field sobriety tests, rather than using a BAC level from a breathalyzer or blood test. If you have been falsely accused of a DUI, then you need to hire a DUI attorney near you to defend you in your case right away. Contact a lawyer in your area and get started working on your case to avoid serious penalties. Hire an attorney today!

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