Impaired Driving

Drinking and Driving is very dangerous, sometimes deadly. About 1,058,990 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes, while preliminary estimates indicate that in 1998, there were 15,936 people killed in alcohol-related crashes. About three in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their live (NHTSA,1997). Dying or killing someone because of alcohol or drugs is a preventable tragedy. If you don't want to add to these grim statistics, don't drive under the influence.

History

The death toll from impaired driving increased steadily until the early 1980's, when a slow downward trend began.

Between 1982-1994, the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities decreased from 57% to 41%. The percentage of fatal crashes involving impaired drivers also decreased between 1982-1994, from 30% to 19%. Among teen drivers, the decline was even more striking-- from 31% to 14%.

However, from 1994-1996, no progress has been made. The percent of traffic fatalities that are alcohol related has remained at 41% with a total of 17,000 lives.

Who are the Offenders?

The majority of impaired drivers killed in the U.S. are highly intoxicated: nearly half have BACs at or above .20--more than twice the legal limit in Maine.
Drivers arrested for OUI have BACs averaging .15--almost twice the legal limit in Maine.
Over one-third of college students report having driven while intoxicated within the past year.
Over half of the people jailed for OUI are repeat offenders.

Who is Alcohol Killing?

Teenagers and young adults are involved in about half of all the fatal alcohol-related crashes. All too often, those killed are passengers of the drinking driver.

Drivers Under the Influence are getting caught!

Increased resources over the last few years in Maine have resulted in the conviction of more and more drivers operating under the influence than ever before.

Enforcement - Special funds have been made available to law enforcement agencies for road blocks and special patrols aimed solely at apprehending impaired drivers.

Alcohol Testing - Instantaneous, reliable testing equipment is now available statewide, even in many remote areas, for measuring the alcohol content of driver's blood.

OUI Drug Law - Maine recently trained police officers to detect the presence of drugs other than alcohol in impaired drivers. The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program provides the evidence needed to successfully prosecute drivers for operating under the influence.

Public Outcry - Thanks to the effort of many organizations in the area of public information and education, it is no longer a socially acceptable practice to drive impaired by alcohol or any other drug. The public support will help insure that enforcement efforts will continue to increase through the 1990's.

Expenses of Drinking and Driving....$7000!

Expenses	Fee
Towing Charges	$50
Bail Bond	$25
Lawyer	$2000
Fine	$500
Alcohol Education Course	$105
3-Year Insurance Surcharge	$4000
Loss of Work Time	$300
Total	$6980

And that's only for the first offense. If you plan to drive afterwards, forget it for a while. You lose you license for at least 90 days. If you drive before getting your license back it could mean jail, a fine, and an additional license suspension.

The quantity of alcohol in a half pint glass of beer is approximately the same as in a pub measure of spirits or in a glass of wine.

What will you lose?

You're probably well aware of how expensive auto insurance is, especially if you're young. A conviction for an alcohol or drug related driving offense will cause your insurance cost to sky rocket. For many young drivers, it literally becomes unaffordable.

A conviction also means the loss of independence. Suddenly, you will become dependent on others to go anywhere including work, school, shopping, etc. For those who drive as part of their work, it often means the loss of a job.

AGENCY INFORMATION