In 2011, Hispanics (42.9%) again represented the largest ethnic group among DUI arrestees, as they have each year for over a decade. Hispanics continued to be arrested at a rate substantially higher than their estimated 2011 population parity of 34.8% (Department of Finance, Demographic Research and Census Data Center). Blacks were also overrepresented among DUI arrestees (8.4% of arrests, 5.9% of the population), while other racial/ethnic groups were underrepresented among DUI arrestees, relative to their estimated 2011 population parity. These underrepresented groups were Whites (39.9% of arrests, 42.6% of the population) and “Other” (8.9% of arrests, 16.8% of the population).

In some counties where the population of Hispanics is high, the DUI arrest rate is also high. For example, in the following six counties, Hispanics comprised 60% or more of those arrested for DUI during 2011: Imperial (73.8%), Tulare (71.7%), San Benito (66.3%), Merced (64.4%), Fresno (64.0%), and Madera (62.8%). However, in most other counties, the majority of arrestees were White