Alcohol Newsletter

by Connor Queen and Alia

Alcohol Related Crashes
2014:
In 2014, the number of
alcohol-related crashes
was measured at
10,550. This number
decreased from the
2013 poll of the same
statistic. 13% of the
driver deaths in the 1620 age groups were
drinking drivers, which
was lower than 19% in
2013. 333 citizens of
Pennsylvania died from
alcohol-related crashes.
87% of the drunk drivers
were male. On average
each day, 29 alcoholrelated traffic crashes
occurred, 1 person was
killed, and 20 people
were injured. Alcoholrelated crashes were
almost 4 times more
likely to result in death
than those not related
to alcohol. 311 fatal
crashes had occurred in
2014.

The year 2010 is known

for having the highest
fatal crashes, the
highest number of
deaths, and the highest
amount of injuries in
Pennsylvania. There
were 41 passengers in
the car with a drinking
driver that died. The
majority of traffic
deaths occurred
between the hours of 8
pm and 4 am. The day
with the most fatal
crashes due to alcohol
use was Saturday. 41%
of deaths during
holiday weekends were
due to alcohol use. The
holiday with the
highest death rate due
to alcohol use is Labor
Day. The age group 2125 had the highest
amount of drinking
drivers. The total
number of crashes by
males is 7,592 and for
females, it is 2,666

Underage Drinking and DUI

You cannot legally drink or
purchase alcoholic beverages in
Pennsylvania until you are 21
years of age. If you are caught
buying, drinking, possessing, or
transporting beer, wine, or
liquor, you could be arrested. If
convicted of underage drinking,
you may be fined up to $300,
jailed up to 90 days, or both. In
addition, you will have a criminal
record and lose your drivers
license for 90 days. If you are
caught DUI, it is a misdemeanor
of the 2nd degree, with a
maximum penalty of up to
$5,000 and up to 2 years in jail. If
you are tried and convicted, you
must pay a minimum of $300
and spend at least 48 hours in
jail and pay other legal fees. In
addition, you will lose your
license for at least 3 months,
possibly up to a year. Under
Pennsylvanias Zero Tolerance
Law, persons under 21 can be
arrested and charged with a DUI
even if their blood alcohol is .20.