Sadly, the simple truth is that tens of millions of people decide to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Doing this not simply puts one's life at risk and puts passengers and others at risk also, but being caught driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) will usually bring about severe penalties including driver's license suspension or cancellation, monetary penalties and also jail time. Quite often a person who has been found guilty of DUI or DWI ultimately has an underlying drug abuse problem. A legal court system knows this, and is therefore inclined to provide DUI and DWI Offenders alcohol and drug treatment as an alternative to other extreme penalties for their crime. Agreeing or obliging to participate in drug and alcohol rehab as a DUI/DWI Offender may not completely eliminate other penalties from the crime, but sometimes decrease the degree of such penalties to some large degree. Particularly if the individual willingly participates in drug and alcohol rehabilitation and is also a first-time offender. Research has shown that a large percentage of folks who do receive alcohol and drug rehab for a DUI/DWI offense avoid the court system for comparable charges later on.