High-BAC Repeat Offenders

Drivers with high BACs pose a greater threat on the road than other impaired drivers. It’s no coincidence that the average BAC for a drunk driver involved in a fatal crash is 0.19 percent—more than double the legal limit. In 2005, almost 55 percent of alcohol-related traffic fatalities involved drivers with extreme BACs or multiple offenses. To reach these BAC levels individuals must consume gross amounts of alcohol, far more than is considered to be social or responsible.

Drivers with extreme BACs are also likely to be repeat offenders. Such behavior (multiple DWI arrests) supports the notion that these individuals have alcohol abuse problems and that a technology “fix” is warranted. Research has found that people who qualify as “alcohol dependent” account for almost two thirds of alcohol-related crashes—establishing a clear relationship between chronic alcoholism and traffic accidents.

National data and common sense indicate that the most severe methods of interdiction and punishment for drunk driving should be reserved for the most severe offenders.