Training the Future Leaders in Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Enforcement: The University of Maryland’s DUI Institute

Approximately 35 percent of the drivers killed in Maryland traffic crashes in 2010 died with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. In 2010, there were about 1.4 million arrests for alcohol-impaired driving in the United States. According to Maryland’s Crash Outcome Data Evaluation Data System, in Maryland nearly 22,000 drivers each year are issued citations for driving while alcohol impaired. Despite the large number of alcohol-impaired driving arrests made, a significant percentage of them do not result in convictions. The reasons why are varied and include judicial prerogative, plea bargaining to an offense with less serious consequences, and failure to successfully prosecute the alcohol-impaired driving offender in court. Although police officers report making a significant number of alcohol-impaired driving arrests, few officers actually appear in court, and those who do may not do so regularly. At times, the actual courtroom experience can be unsettling. An arresting officer may be questioned by a defense attorney concerning the nature of the evidence used to make the alcohol-impaired driving stop as well as about the procedures used in obtaining evidence to support the arrest.