More than 180,000 people were arrested for Driving Under the Influence in 2011.  This bit of information as well as a host of other interesting facts on DUI such as arrests, adjudication, treatment and driver license actions can be found in the 2013 California DUI Management Information System (DUI-MIS) Report located on the DMV website, www.dmv.ca.gov.

“Our DMV Research and Development Branch works diligently to compile DUI data that has led to numerous improvements in DUI laws and how the courts report DUI cases to the DMV,” said DMV Chief Deputy Director Jean Shiomoto.  “This report is highly relied upon by the California  Legislature, courts, district attorneys, probation departments, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and many other traffic safety organizations and researchers nationwide.”

Male drivers between the ages of 21-30 lead in DUI arrests however; the number of females arrested for DUI has risen each year for over two decades.  Another, disturbing finding is that the average blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of those convicted was .16, twice the legal limit.  Alcohol is not the only factor when it comes to DUI, drug-involved fatalities have risen by 39.3% during the past ten years.

It’s not all bad news however; the number of drivers under the age of 18 involved in fatal and injury DUI crashes has decreased in the last decade.

History and Objectives of the DUI-MIS Report

The DUI-MIS report, in its 22nd year, is produced in response to legislation that requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to maintain statistical DUI data that would enhance the ability of the Legislature to make informed and timely policy decisions.

The basic theme of the report is to track the processing of DUI offenders from the point of arrest and to identify the frequency offenders flow through each branch of the system – from law enforcement through adjudication to treatment and license control actions.

Another major component of the report is to evaluate the effectiveness of court and administrative sanctions on convicted DUI offenders.

The data are drawn and cross-referenced from sources such as the California Highway Patrol, Department of Justice, Department of Motor Vehicles, and the courts, and it is compiled into a single reference report.

Highlights of the Report

* More than 180,000 people were arrested for DUI in 2011;

* The typical DUI arrestee in 2011 was a 21–30-year-old-male, though the numbers of females arrested for DUI in California have risen each year for over two decades;

* 73.1% of 2010 DUI arrests resulted in convictions, though rates varied by county;

* The main Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of those convicted was .16,  twice the legal limit;

* Alcohol-involved crash fatalities increased slightly by 1.6% in 2011 with 1,089 deaths;

* Drug-involved fatalities have risen by 39.3% during the past decade with 709 deaths.

While the total number of alcohol and drug involved crash fatalities combined (1,488 due to overlap) had decreased during the prior five consecutive years, it actually increased by 5.0% in 2011.