Drunk driving is a serious offense.
Drunk driving or drinking and driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol (ethanol) or other drugs, to the degree that mental and motor skills are impaired. It is illegal in most jurisdictions within the U.S.
The specific criminal offence is usually called driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence [of alcohol or other drugs] (DUI).
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 17,419 people died in 2002 in alcohol-related collisions, representing 41 percent of total traffic deaths in the United States. Over 500,000 people were injured in alcohol-related accidents in the US in 2001. Alcohol-related is defined to include any driver, passenger or pedestrian involved in a fatal crash who has any trace of alcohol or suspicion of alcohol usage.
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