Operating a vehicle while under the influence includes risk and has consequences, and almost all of them are negative. Either you make it home safe, you get into a car crash and have to face it’s often sobering result or you get pulled over and receive a DUI.
If you receive a DUI, you have the right to fight it, but that shouldn’t make the act of driving impaired any more appealing.
Nobody should ever drive drunk, but that’s not reality — the following statistics, which measure the year of 2017 for Oklahoma drivers, back that up.
Drunk driving fatality numbers
- Total driver fatalities due to alcohol-related crashes: 165
- Percentage of driver fatalities due to alcohol-related crashes: 25.2%
- Number of those under 21 who died in an alcohol-related crash: 16
- Percentage of under 21-year-olds who died in an alcohol-related crash: 16%
- The percentage change of alcohol-related driving fatalities per 100 thousand people between 2008-2017 in Oklahoma: minus 31.8%
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- The national average is: minus 7%
- The percentage change of alcohol-related driving fatalities per 100 thousand people between 2008-2017 in Oklahoma for those under 21: minus 62.8%
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- The national average: minus 28.7%
- Percent of driving fatalities in which the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or higher (the legal limit is .08): 71.5%
- Percent of fatal crashes that involved repeat offenders
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- BAC of .08-.14: 19%
- BAC of .15 plus: 76%
Drunk driving arrest numbers
- Under 18: 72 arrests
- Over 18: 9,527 arrests
While drunk driving is still prevalent, many of Oklahoma’s numbers are below the national average. If you do get pulled over, speak less and obey more. Your chances of receiving reduced penalties are better if you comply and have educated representation on your side.