Capitol Alert

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Today's Bee details Democratic Assemblyman Jerry Hill's effort to get motorists who rack up three or more DUI convictions off the road for life.

In explaining why he decided to introduce the measure, Hill emphasized the safety threat of allowing repeat DUI offenders back behind the wheel.

"Today you need to hurt or kill someone before your license is revoked, and that's ridiculous," he said. "We have to wait for tragedy to strike for us to do something."

So how many repeat DUI offenders kill or injure someone when they get back behind the wheel under the influence?

Here's the answer to that question, using the most recent data available from the state Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Highway Patrol.

In 2006, 323 of the 1,420 alcohol-involved fatal crashes were caused by a motorist with at least one DUI on his or her record for the previous 10 years. Prior DUI offenders driving under the influence caused 10,855 of the 20,912 injury-related DUI crashes that year.

Altogether, there were 3,793 fatal crashes on state roads that year.

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