Regrettably, it's true that tens of millions of people decide to drive an automobile while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Doing this not merely puts one's life at risk and puts passengers and others at risk also, but being caught driving drunk (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) will almost always bring about severe penalties including driver's license suspension or cancellation, fines and even jail time. In many cases somebody who has been found guilty of DUI or DWI ultimately has an underlying drug abuse problem. The court system knows this, and it is therefore inclined to offer DUI and DWI Offenders drug and alcohol rehab as an alternative to other serious consequences for their crime. Agreeing or obliging to participate in drug rehabilitation as a DUI/DWI Offender might not exactly completely eliminate other consequences from the crime, but can decrease the degree of such penalties to a great extent. Specifically if the individual willingly takes part in drug and alcohol rehab and is also a first time offender. Research has shown that a large proportion of individuals who do receive alcohol and drug rehab for a DUI/DWI offense stay out of the court system for similar charges later on.