North Carolina ranks fourth for DWI/DUI arrests

On Behalf of | Dec 27, 2019 | dwi/dui

U.S. Drug Test Centers published a report earlier this month in which they ranked each state in order based on the number of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) arrests that occur in the state per 100,000 residents. The data reveals that North Carolina ranked fourth among all states for DWI/DUI arrests. There were 518.8 individuals per 100,000 inhabitants who were taken into police custody of suspicion of this crime here in Tarheel state last year alone.

The statistics also revealed other interesting information about DWI/DUI arrests here in North Carolina. The highest percentage of individuals who were arrested for this crime during the past 10 years was in 2009. That year, there were 725.95 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants.

There’s been a 28.4% decline in the state’s DWI/DUI arrest rate if you look at the numbers from a long-term perspective between 2009 and 2018. Arrests during the past five years have increased by 17.4% though.

The only other states with higher DWI/DUI arrest rates than North Carolina are South and North Dakota and Wyoming. Each of these jurisdictions reported 676.1 per 100,000 arrests in 2018. Delaware had the least DWI/DUI arrests last year.

If there’s one thing that most of us have been told or taught time and time again, it’s that driving and alcohol consumption don’t mix. Individuals who are suspected of DWI/DUI don’t have the necessary motor skills to safely operate a vehicle. This is why police officers in Statesville or elsewhere in the state are keen on stopping anyone suspected of such a crime.

Your life isn’t over if you’re stopped on suspicion of DWI/DUI. If you sit on your hands and don’t answer the charges filed against you, then your life is sure to be impacted in more ways than one though. A DWI/DUI attorney can help you decide what course of action to take in your case here in Statesville.