"Motor vehicle crashes take over 32,000 lives each year, costing the country $380 million annually in direct medical costs. Much of

this can be attributed to drinking and driving. In 2015,

there were 10,265 deaths in alcohol-related crashes.

This averages out to 1 death every 51 minutes."


According to the most recent California DMV annual report,

there were 36,125 DUI arrests in Los Angeles County; and the

average BAC level was 0.17%--more than double the legal limit.


In 2014, there were a total of 4,328 DUI crashes involving death

or injury in Los Angeles County. Out of these 4,328 crashes,

about 91% involved alcohol, which amounts to 3,932 crashes.

Penalties & Consequences                                                                                                 

Besides significant risk of the health and safety of yourself and others, driving under the influence can have serious consequences that

involve the legal system.


DUI convictions vary from state to state, and can depend on many

different factors such as age, license type, damage/injury, and previous convictions. Some penalties of a DUI include: 

  • at least 6 months of license suspension
  • 3-5 years probation
  • minimum 24 hours of community service
  • completion of a drug/alcohol program
  • fines of $390-$2500 (plus penalty assessments and fees that​ can total up to $18,000)
  • DUI classes for 18 or 30 months in length 
  • up to 1 year in county jail (up to 16 years for felony injury DUI)
  • installation of an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) for at least 6 months


DUI convictions can stay on your driving record for up to 10 years.

For more information about drunk driving, click here.


What is a DUI?
                                                                                                  

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Source: CA DUI Laws

Statistics

Sources: DUI Penalties in LA County, CA DUI Laws, Consequences, and Penalties

Source: CA DMV annual report

Source:  snowmobile-ed.com

DUI stands for "driving under the influence." Other terms also include "driving while intoxicated" or "driving while impaired."


Regardless of the term used, a DUI means that a driver is being charged with a serious offense that risked the health and safety of themselves and others. A DUI is determined by Blood- Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels. Although they vary by state, any amount of alcohol in one's bloodstream can have severe negative effects on health and safety.


In California, driving or operating a motor vehicle with a BAC

of 0.08% or higher is not only illegal, but also unsafe. In some cases, a driver can still be charged with a DUI if they fail the sobriety test or show other signs of impairment, even if the driver's BAC level is below 0.08%.


"Per California's DUI laws, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with any of the following BAC percentages:

  • 0.08% or higher― 21 years old or older operating a regular passenger vehicle
  • 0.04% or higher―operating a commercial vehicle
  • 0.04% or higher―operating a for-hire passenger vehicle (example: Uber/Lyft/taxi drivers, bus drivers, etc.)
  • 0.01% or higher―younger than 21 years old"

Effects of alcohol based on

Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels

Source:  quitalcohol.com