How prevalent are drunk driving arrests?

When someone is taken into custody for driving under the influence, they face many obstacles. Aside from a flood of negative emotions, many drivers run the risk of losing their job, sustaining permanent damage to their reputation and losing the ability to drive. Stiff financial penalties and time behind bars are a reality for many people charged with DUI as well. It is important for drivers to realize how widespread these arrests are and for those facing charges to know that they are not alone.

Even though a DUI is very overwhelming, people in this position need to take a careful look at all of their options and figure out the best way to approach their case.

Looking at the number of DUI arrests

On their site, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published statistics on the number of DUI arrests during 2016. Over the course of this year, over one million people were taken into custody for operating a vehicle while drunk or under the influence of narcotics. However, the CDC points out that there are more than 100 million self-reported incidents of drunk driving per year and these arrests represent a small fraction of the number of people who drive drunk at some point.

Understanding the prevalence of drunk driving

There are a lot of reasons why DUI charges are so prevalent. Some people turn to alcohol during a life crisis and make a poor decision even though they are otherwise responsible. With zero-tolerance laws, many underage drivers are apprehended with a very small amount of alcohol in their system. Furthermore, some people are wrongly accused of driving drunk due to faulty breathalyzers. Drivers facing these charges need to carefully approach their case.