Drinking and driving stats that impact Maryland drivers

In Maryland and the rest of the U.S., drivers over the age of 21 may not drive a vehicle if their alcohol level is higher than .08 percent. Drivers who are under the age of 21 may not have any level of alcohol in their system. According to statistics from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 32 percent of all fatal car crashes involved a drunk driver.

On average, such crashes kill 13,000 people and cost taxpayers around $100 billion per year. Statistics further indicate that 1.4 million people are charged with DWI, and roughly 66 percent of those convicted of DWI are repeat offenders. However, one statistic indicates that alcohol-related deaths have fallen since 1982, when 48.5 percent of all fatal car crashes involved an impaired driver.