11 Facts About Driving Under the Influence

1. Impairment is not reliant upon the type of alcohol consumed, rather the number of drinks over a certain period of time. Despite myths and misconceptions, coffee, a cold shower, or exercise will not make a person more sober; only time will.
2. On average, a drunk driver will drive 80 times under the influence before their first arrest.
3. Every 53 minutes in America, a life is lost in a drunk driving crash; that equates to 27 people every day.
4. For drivers under 21, the U.S. has a No Tolerance policy which does not allow any alcohol to be in the blood system while behind the wheel. The consequences could include expensive fines, loss of license, or jail.
5. Every 90 seconds, someone is injured from a drunk driving incident.
6. In 2011, 9,878 people were victims of drunk drivers.
7. Between 50 and 75 percent of the people who have had their licenses revoked due to driving under the influence drive illegally without their license.
8. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teens, and roughly one-third of these accidents involve alcohol or another substance.
9. Thanks to law enforcement around driving under the influence, since 1980 the fatality rate of drunk driving has been cut in half.
10. 211 children were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2010. Of those 211 children, 62 percent were riding in the car with the impaired driver.
11. Kids and teens who get involved with alcohol at a young age are 7 times more likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lives.

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Sources: MADD