California New Year’s Drunk Driving Data
SeeCalifornia.com captured this image on Dec. 30, 2012 on the I-5 Freeway. It shows wet road conditions and a sign: Report Drunk Drivers Call 911
California leads the nation in the number of sobriety checkpoints conducted annually, and according to a statewide survey of California drivers in 2012, 90% support this effort. California Highway Patrol sets up DUI checkpoints during the holiday season which have led to hundreds of citations for driving under the influence across California. The checkpoints help prevent drunk drivers from staying on the road as the consequences of a DUI are severe, expensive and can be life altering. The California Highway Patrol and Department of Motor Vehicles advise that you always assign a designated sober driver when attending an event where alcohol is being served and consumed by you or your friends.
CALIFORNIA ALCOHOL IMPAIRED DRIVING (Dec. 2012, California Office of Traffic Safety)
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities (fatalities in crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams per deciliter or greater matches the historic low of 774 in 2010 and 2011.
- California’s alcohol-impaired driving fatality rate is much better than the national average of 0.34. Of the five largest states in terms of total traffic fatalities, CA,FL, TX, PA, AND NC, California has the best rate, 0.25 in 2010.
- As a percent of total fatalities, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities decreased to 28% in 2011. The national average of alcohol impaired fatalities is is 31%.
- The 21-24 age group has 30% of drivers in fatal crashes with blood alcohol concentration levels of 0.08 or higher.
- 180,212 DUI arrests in 2011 was the lowest level since 2002.
- According to the 2012 Annual Report of the California DUI Management Information System, California’s statewide DUI conviction rate is around 77%. See last year’s statistics.
