More than 83,000 licensed drivers in Indiana have been convicted of drunken driving two or more times, a concern among law enforcement and victims groups because repeat offenders cause 10 percent of state traffic deaths. In the Indianapolis area, 21,684 drivers have been convicted two or more times, according to data analysis by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The Indianapolis Star requested the information after police reported that an intoxicated driver with two prior convictions killed two people in an SUV leaving a wedding reception last Sunday near the Indianapolis Zoo.
Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows drivers with prior offenses are more likely to drink and drive again. BMV records show that as of Friday, nearly 6 percent — or more than 275,000 — of the state’s 4.9 million drivers have at least one prior alcohol conviction. And 83,168 have multiple convictions, including 6,310 with four or more.
Link: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050821/NEWS01/508210527