Lancaster County Demographics

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, known as the Garden Spot of America since the 18th century, is located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Population: As of 2005, there were 490,562 residents in Lancaster County, representing 4.2% growth since 2000 and 11.3% growth since 1990. The population is: 25.3% under age 18; 14.2% over age 65; and 51% female Statistically this is in parity with the rest of the United States.

Lancaster City, the county seat and largest city in the County of Lancaster has a population of approximately 56,000 residents. The surrounding metropolitan area of Lancaster Township adds an additional 14,000 residents.

Geography: Lancaster County is bounded to the north by Lebanon County, to the northeast by Berks County, and to the east by Chester County. To the south is the Mason-Dixon Line serving as the Maryland border. To the west is York County (the boundary is the western shore of the Susquehanna River). To the northwest is Dauphin County .

Drinking and Driving – Lancaster County

The following 2008 data was provided by the Lancaster County Impaired Driver Program. Additional information can be found on its website: http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/courts/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=389301

The Impaired Driver Program completed 1517 Court Reporting Network evaluations in 2008.

Males made up a majority of DUI offenders (76.4%). Nearly 22% of all DUI offenders in Lancaster County are between ages 21 and 24. And roughly 13% are under age 21.

In 2008 the average BAC fell from .17% in 2007 to .16% in Lancaster County.

Saturdays proved to be the busiest days for DUI arrests. 27.4% of offenders were arrested this day.

For all offenders investigated and prosecuted for DUI, 31.9% resulted from vehicle crashes. In 2007, 35% of investigations/prosecutions resulted from crashes.

Incidences of DUI have increased in Lancaster County, but efforts are being made to provide more strict enforcement of the DUI law by both Pennsylvania State Police and municipal police authorities. Grant money has provided additional funds for manning increased roving patrols and staffing for DUI checkpoints. Law enforcement is also addressing the problem by exposing personnel to higher levels of training that focuses on detection of impaired drivers and field testing for those suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.

Drinking and Driving – Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The following 2007 data was provided by the PA DUI Association. Additional information can be found on its website:  www.padui.org.

Alcohol-related crashes = 12,867 (down from 13,616 in 2006)

Alcohol-related deaths = 535 (down from 545 in 2006)

Alcohol-related deaths accounted for 36% of total traffic deaths. (same as 2005 and 2006)

Age Group                             2006                            2007

16-20                                       24%                             21%

 21-25                                       49%                             48%

 26-30                                       43%                             48%

41-45                                       57%                             51%

** 77% of the drinking drivers in traffic crashes were male.

Summation: The incidence of DUI continues to rise in Lancaster County. Perhaps the increase is a result of greater and more sophisticated levels of enforcement. In the last decade, Police officers have been exposed to higher levels of training in detection and field testing. Grants have been made available for many jurisdictions to conduct roving patrols and sobriety checkpoints, snaring many DUI offenders that may have otherwise gone undetected.

The facts are clear. DUI remains a serious problem in Lancaster County as well as across our nation.

Your volunteerism and financial assistance to the DUI Council of Lancaster County remains vital to the public relations, educational and prevention programs that it operates in our attempt to reduce the incidence of DUI in our county.