Maine has found itself ninth on a list of the worst states for drunk driving, according to data analyzed by backgroundchecks.org and released in March 2017.
The Pine Tree State had a DUI death rate (per 100,000) of 3.91 and 5,756 DUI arrests. First on the list was Wyoming, followed by North Dakota, ranked second; South Dakota, ranked third; Montana, fourth; South Carolina, fifth; Mississippi, sixth; New Mexico, seventh; and Kentucky, eighth.
“To create a ranking of states, we took a combination of deaths directly attributable to DUIs, DUI arrests per 100,000 people, and drinking too much before driving, as reported by drivers themselves,” backgroundchecks.org said in its release of the data. “We then created a weighted formula.”
The original data used to create the weighted formula came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. BackgroundChecks.org focuses on public safety, online privacy, home security and open government, and it regularly gathers new data and research on issues affecting public welfare.
Take Note: If you have lost your license and need to work on driver’s license restoration, browse through the attorney directories on www.Drunkdrivingattorneys.com or www.DriversLicenseRestorers.com. Pick an attorney experienced and knowledgeable in the driver’s license appeal (restoration) process in your state. If you need to get treatment to help make a case for restoring your license, there are treatment center directories on both sites. If you need information about points on your driving record, check your state department of motor vehicles. In Maine, go to www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/. Helping yourself is always the first step in having your DUI attorney help you.
A factor in Maine making the backgroundchecks.org list very well could be the state’s lack of resources to monitor and enforce driving and DUI laws. A 2016 article highlights the state’s shortfall in its number of state police officers and the issue that problem creates.
The article said that although new recruits were being sworn in, “that has done little to ease the vacancies at the Maine State Police.”
“We still have 28 vacancies,” Col. Robert Williams, chief of the Maine State Police, said at the time of the report. Maine lawmakers were attempting to remedy the problem by providing a pay raises ranging from 12 to 18 percent for troopers.
In Maine, the Secretary of State will immediately suspend your license if found guilty of Operating Under the Influence. The suspension takes place prior to any court appearance, and while waiting for court driving is not allowed. Information on Maine’s DUI laws can be found here. And, even more information on DUI laws across the nation can be found here.
Portland, Maine’s largest city, is reportedly the worst location in the state for drinking-related issues, according to an online article in 24/7 Wall St.
At the time of the article, “More than one in five metro area adults drank to excess in the last 30 days compared to 19 percent of adults in Maine,” the piece said.
“The higher excessive drinking rate in the metro area could help explain the area’s roadway fatality statistics. Of all fatal car accidents in Portland, 37.3 percent involved alcohol, a higher share than across both Maine and the country as a whole,” the article went on to explain.
“The fact that over 10,000 people a year die from DUI-related accidents is a travesty,” Trent Wilson, co-author of the backgroundchecks.org research, was quoted as saying. In addition to those killed, some 200,000 sustain injuries as a direct result of someone driving under the influence, the organization notes.
“We hope this research will open some eyes and make people think twice before drinking and driving,” Wilson said.
