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THE HIGH SOCIETAL COSTS OF CALIFORNIA DUI

POSTED BY THOMAS V. WALLIN || 3-AUG-2011

Anyone who has been arrested for driving under the influence in California is aware of the costs associated with drinking and driving, including court-imposed fines and attorney’s fees. Yet, many fail to acknowledge the impact of California DUI on society as a whole.

Therefore, we ask drivers to consider the following National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics before driving impaired:

• Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost society more than
• $110 billion in 1998, including more than $40 billion in monetary costs and nearly $70 billion in quality of life losses. Quality of life refers to the dollar value of the pain, suffering, and lost quality of life that victims and their families experience due to a death or an injury.
• Alcohol-related crashes are deadlier and more serious than other crashes. Persons, other than the drinking driver, paid $51 billion of the costs for alcohol-related crashes (1998).
• In 1998, the cost of a single alcohol-related fatality in the United States was $3.2 million and the estimated cost per injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averaged $79,000.
• Alcohol-related crashes accounted for an estimated 16 percent of the $127 billion in U.S. auto insurance payments. Reducing alcohol-related crashes by 10 percent would save $3 billion in claims payments and loss adjustment expenses (1998).

If you have been arrested for driving under the influence in California, you will need an experienced DUI defense attorney. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you to get the best possible outcome in your case.