The Fourth of July holiday is one that is often celebrated by gatherings of friends and family members enjoying a barbeque-style meal, with lots of fireworks. The festivities are often accompanied by the consumption of alcohol. This year, Independence Day fell on a Friday – a convenient circumstance given that fireworks are often the most spectacular late at night and Fridays make for excellent party nights since many individuals do not have work on Saturday morning. Undoubtedly, there were most likely some Massachusetts drivers who didn’t exercise their best judgment this past weekend, and who drank alcohol and then proceeded to drive a vehicle.
Driving while intoxicated, also commonly referred to as driving while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both, is a crime in every state in America. While what exactly qualifies as “intoxicated” varies from state to state, in Massachusetts driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that is more than 0.08% is over the legal limit, and those doing so could be arrested if pulled over by the police. National DUI Statistics Drunk driving is a serious matter in America. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides 2012 statistics on DUI across the United States, which includes the following:
- There were 33,561 alcohol-related traffic fatalities;
- Of those fatalities, nearly a third (10,322) were drunk drivers;
- 70% of drunk drivers had a BAC of 0.15% or higher;
- 3% of drunk drivers involved in fatal car accidents had a prior DUI within the previous 3 years;
- Of those drunk drivers involved in a fatal crash who had a prior DUI, 41% were previously involved in another fatal accident;
- More than 3 people who are 21 or younger died per day from an alcohol-related car accident; and
- 32% of drivers who are between the ages of 15 and 20 years old who are involved in fatal car crashes were intoxicated at the time of the accident.
Massachusetts DUI Statistics
DUI laws in Massachusetts are very strict, and yet drunk driving is still a serious problem in our state. Responsibilty.org reports the following statistics from 2012:
- 8,541 arrests were made of drivers who were driving while intoxicated;
- 74 of those were drivers who were under the age of 18 years old;
- There were 124 alcohol-related fatal car accidents;
- 14.5% of those accidents involved drivers who were 21 years old or younger;
- In nearly 60% of all alcohol-related accidents, the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15% or greater, which is nearly double the legal limit in Massachusetts.
Contacting a DUI Criminal Defense Attorney in Massachusetts