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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14,1989
DUI: No excuses
This week, Dec. 10-16, marks the nationwide observance of National Drunk and Drugged Driver Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “The Designated Driver, Someone People Really Look Up To.”
In that mouthful of words, there are important implications for all of us. Though increased penalties and public awareness of the dangers of driving while under the influence has helped to reduce some statistics a bit, far too many people are killed and injured each year by intoxicated drivers.
Consider the facts in Virginia during 1988:
• There were 18,084 crashes in which alcohol played a factor, 12.5 percent of the total accidents.
• Alcohol was involved in 48.5 percent of all fatal accidents.
• Alcohol-related accidents killed 522 people on state roads, an increase of 24.9 percent over the 1987 figure.
• More than 46,000 people were arrested for driving under the influence, and 84.2 percent were convicted of the crime.
• Of the alcohol-related fatalities, 64 were teenagers. Another 2,338 were injured in accidents where alcohol was implicated.
96.4%