The offense of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, a controlled substance, or another intoxicating drug, generally defined by statute either through a specific measured blood alcohol concentration threshold or through an officer's observation of impaired driving ability. It is among the most commonly prosecuted criminal offenses in the world, enforced through roadside sobriety testing and breath or blood alcohol testing, and is treated as a distinct, more serious offense from ordinary reckless or careless driving because of the documented relationship between alcohol and drug impairment and traffic fatalities. Penalties frequently escalate substantially for a repeat offense or for an offense that results in injury or death, and many jurisdictions impose an automatic license suspension alongside any criminal penalty.
Facts
Classification CodeIn the United States the offense is usually called driving under the influence 1 Typical PenaltyA DUI citation causes a major increase in car insurance premiums in the American system 1 Elements of OffenseIllinois makes it illegal to drive with a THC level of 5 nanograms or more per milliliter of whole blood, or 10 or more per milliliter of other bodily substances 1 Notable ExampleGeorge Smith, a London taxi driver, was the first person convicted of driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated, on September 10, 1897 1 Jurisdiction VariationCalifornia only makes it illegal to drive while under the influence, requiring actual driving rather than mere control of the vehicle 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Associated With
Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory characterizes offending as impulsive and short-sighted, weighing immediate gratification over diffuse long-term risk; driving under the influence is a standard secondary-literature illustration of exactly that trade-off.
Source Wikipedia: Self-Control Theory of Crime
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
Sources
1. Driving under the Influence (Wikipedia)
Terminology section
the specific criminal offense is usually called driving under the influence
Penalties section
In the American system, a citation for driving under the influence also causes a major increase in car insurance premiums.
Testing for cannabis section
in Illinois it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a THC level of 5 nanograms or more per milliliter of whole blood or 10 nanograms or more per milliliter of other bodily substances.
Definition section, California requirement
In contrast, California only makes it illegal to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence, requiring actual "driving".
Definition section, first recorded conviction
George Smith, a London taxi driver, ended up being the first person to be convicted of driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated, on September 10, 1897.
View the SourceWikipedia: Self-Control Theory of Crime
Associated With: Self-Control Theory, General theory of crime sectionQuote, Associated With: Self-Control Theory, General theory of crime section
criminal acts are often markedly non-controlled; they are both opportunistic and short-sighted
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