West Virginia has the 30th highest rate of drunk driving arrests in the nation, according to a study by the U.S. Drug Test Centers.
West Virginia’s rate of DUI arrests in 2018 was 298.5 per 100,000; the national average was 330 per 100,000, the study said.
Overall, West Virginia has seen a 42.2% decrease in DUI arrests since 2009.
South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, North Carolina, Mississippi, New Mexico, Maine, Washington, Alaska and Wisconsin are the states with the 10 highest DUI rates, according to the study.
Missouri, Arkansas, Connecticut, Alabama, Ohio, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Illinois and Delaware, have the lowest DUI rates.
More than a million DUI arrests were reported to the FBI in 2018, a 1% increase from 2017 but an overall decline from 2014, the study said.
An estimated 30 people are killed in drunk-driving accidents every day, even with the widespread awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, the study said. Three in four of DUIs, which reported gender, are men and more than 80%, which report race, are white.
Locally, the Morgantown Police Department made 135 DUI arrests in 2018, Morgantown Communication’s Specialist Andrew Stacy said.
Monongalia County Sheriff Perry Palmer said his deputies have made 145 DUI arrests through the end of November.
“We’ve been really diligent on it,” Palmer said.
During the past three to four years, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department has been the second or third ranked in terms of DUI arrests for sheriff’s departments in the state, he said.
Both departments take part in the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, which provides money for DUI checkpoints and DUI patrols. The GHSP also helps with underage enforcement, seatbelt enforcement and distracted driving, Stacy said.
Deputies and officers are always on the lookout for DUIs during their regular shifts.
Palmer said common DUI indicators are swerving, driving left of center and not having headlights on when they should be.
There are more opportunities for people to drive drunk around the holidays but Palmer urged people to use a designated driver, taxi or some other method to get home.
“Don’t drink and drive,” Palmer said. “Always use a designated driver. Don’t take a chance putting yourself or someone else in danger.”
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