Newport Rhode Island DUI Statistics

Three DUI Statistics Questions Answered

Drinking and driving risks your life as well as all the other lives on the road around you. DUI Statistics show that drunk driving is a huge problem in the United States with the state of Rhode Island coming in at number four out of the fifty states. While drunk driving accidents have not increased over recent years, the fatality rate remains steady. About 30 people die daily because of an alcohol-induced car crash.  Furthermore, about a third of all fatal auto accidents involve drinking and driving.

Drunk drivers that get behind the wheel of a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or higher risk getting a driving under the influence (DUI) charge. The law considers anyone driver drinking to the point of that BAC is impaired by alcohol. Millions of drivers get behind the wheel impaired a year. Additionally, in the United States, about one in three deaths on the road involve a drunk driver.

DUI Statistics: What are the Rhode Island DUI laws?

The state of Rhode Island determines drunk driving penalties based on blood alcohol content levels as well as age. Anyone driving with a BAC of .08% or higher is too impaired to drive. The law tolerates underage drinking even less. Anyone under the age of 21 years old with a BAC between .02% and .08% receives a DUI.

In 2016, Rhode Island became the 28th state in the U.S. to pass an all-offender interlock ignition law. However, the state has not legalized sobriety checkpoints as suggested by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Furthermore, MADD suggests Rhode Island encourage more no-refusal enforcement activities. They can do this by expediting warrants and pushing ignition interlocks for suspect drunk drivers who refuse a BAC test.

 DUI Statistics: How many deaths do driving drunk cause in Rhode Island?

In the state of Rhode Island, 308 people died in drunk driving car accidents between the years 2003 and 2012. In a 2012 survey, 2.4% of people questioned admitted to driving after drinking too much.

The most dangerous thing about drinking and driving is the risk of death that comes with it. Not only do drunk drivers put their lives in peril, but they increase the danger for everyone else on the road. This is why the state of Rhode Island takes DUI offenses so seriously. The state charges any drinking and driving accident resulting in death as a felony.

DUI Statistics: How does it compare to the national statistics?

In the United States, over 10,000 people died from drunk driving accidents in the year of 2012. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 20 individuals die every day in the United States from alcohol-related auto fatalities.

DUI Statistics: Who is more likely to drive drunk, men or women?

Which gender has a higher risk for driving drunk? According to statistics, men were responsible for four out of every five DUI arrests in the year 2010. Approximately 32% of all drunk driving episodes result from men between the ages of 21 and 34. This is true despite the fact that this age and gender group accounts for only 11% of the adult population in the U.S.

Men are also more likely to binge drink. Binge drinking occurs when a man drinks at least five alcoholic beverages in a limited amount of time. On the contrary, for women, binge drinking takes place when she drinks at least four drinks. Binge drinkers are the highest risk group for drinking and driving. Overall, men are more likely to drink and drive.

What injuries result from DUI accidents?

Drunk driving accidents inflict numerous injuries beyond death. Every year, Rhode Island motorists suffer from catastrophic injuries due to DUI-related collisions. Survivors of accidents end up with:

• Loss of limb or limbs
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage
• Broken, fractured bones
• Lacerations (cuts)
• Head Trauma
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions
• Spinal cord injuries
• Quadriplegia or paraplegia

Afterward, victims of drunk driving accidents often suffer from mental and emotional trauma. Furthermore, the setbacks caused by injury result in loss of wages and job compromise. The consequences vary depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Newport Rhode Island DUI Statistics