Alcohol-involved traffic fatalities decreased by 6.8% in 2007, for the first time after eight years of a continuous rising trend.

Drug-involved fatalities declined for the second consecutive year (by 12.8% in 2007), but still reflect an increase of almost 200% in the past decade, from 253 in 1997 t749 in 2007

The number of persons injured in alcohol-involved crashes decreased slightly by 1.0% in 2007, following a slight increase of 0.9% in 2006.
DUI arrests increased by 3.4% in 2007, following an increase of 9.4% in 2006, and a decrease of 0.4% in 2005.

The DUI arrest rate rose by 1.6% in 2007, yet still represents a 7.5% reduction from the arrest rate in 1997.

15.5% of all 2006 DUI arrests were associated with a reported traffic crash, compared t15.8% in 2005. 6.3% of 2006 DUI arrests were associated with crashes involving injuries or fatalities, slightly lower than 6.6% in 2005.

Among 2007 DUI arrestees, Hispanics (45.9%) again constituted the largest racial/ethnic group, as they have each year since 1992 (with the exception of 1999). Hispanics continued tbe arrested at a rate substantially higher than their estimated percentage of California’s adult population (35.8% in 2007).

The median (midpoint) age of an arrested DUI offender in 2007 was 30 years. Less than 1% of arrested DUI offenders were juveniles (under age 18).

Among convicted DUI offenders arrested in 2006, 73.5% were first offenders and 26.5% were repeat offenders (one or more prior convictions within the previous ten years). The proportion of repeat offenders has decreased considerably since 1989, when it stood at 37%.

The median blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of a convicted DUI offender, as reported by law enforcement on Administrative Per Se (APS) forms, was 0.15% in 2006, same as last year, yet almost double the California illegal per se BAC limit of 0.08% .

9.4% of 2006 DUI arrest cases did not show any corresponding conviction on DMV records, which is a decrease from 10.3% in 2005.

Source: www.ots.ca.gov

The California Highway Patrol reports that 202 drivers have been arrested for driving under the influence as of 6 a.m. Sunday morning. That’s down from 207 DUI arrests over the same time period last year.

Statewide 1, 397 drivers have been arrested for California DUI’s which is a drop of 100 from last year.

A fine is just the start of what you’ll pay for a drunken-driving conviction. Insurance-rate increases, legal bills, alcohol treatment and licensing fees can push the cost into five figures.

The penalties are intended to be discouraging. Alcohol played a role in nearly 40% of U.S. automobile fatalities in 2005. That’s 16,885 deaths, a figure nearly unchanged over the past decade, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But states are cracking down. The last of the 50 states have lowered their thresholds for DUI to 0.08% blood-alcohol content. Police arrested 1.37 million people last year for driving under alcohol’s grip, about one in every 140 licensed drivers, the FBI says.

But forget the humiliation and hassle for now. Forget the toll on lives. Just look at what a DUI does to your wallet:

Bail. You’ll have to shell out bail to get released after your arrest. Cost: $150-$2,500.

(Costs shown in this article are for first-time DUI offenders. Costs and penalties are often more severe if you’re a repeat offender or your blood-alcohol content is above 0.15%.)

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