CUMMINGS, Circuit Judge.
Shawn D. Rutherford pled guilty to bank robbery, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), and possession of a firearm by a felon, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). The district court found that Rutherford had two previous convictions for crimes of violence, rendering him a career offender under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1.1 The career offender guideline gave Rutherford an offense level of 29 and a criminal history category of VI, yielding a sentencing range of 151 to 188 months. If Rutherford had not qualified as a career offender, he would have had an offense level of 21 and a criminal history category of V, resulting in a sentencing range of 70 to 87 months. The district court imposed a sentence of 188 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
On appeal, Rutherford argues that his 1993 conviction in an Alabama state court for first-degree' assault does not qualify as a crime of violence.2 He was convicted of assault for [372]*372“driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and causing serious bodily injury to the person of another with the motor vehicle.” Presentence Report at 9.3 Rutherford contends that the definition of crime of violence under the career offender guideline does not encompass vehicular assault.
I. Definition of “Crime of Violence” Under the Career Offender Guideline
Section 4B1.2 of the Guidelines defines “crime of violence” for the purposes of the career offender guideline. Under § 4B1.2(1)
“The term ‘crime of violence’ means any offense under federal or state law punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year that—
(i) has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another, or
(ii) is burglary of a dwelling, arson, or extortion, involves use of explosives, or otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.”
Application Note 2 to § 4B1.2 requires that we limit our inquiry to “the conduct set forth (i.e., expressly charged) in the count of which the defendant was convicted.” Application Note 2; United States v. Lee, 22 F.3d 736, 738 (7th Cir.1994).4
First-degree assault is a felony in Alabama, Ala.Code § 13A-6-20(b), and Rutherford received a sentence of five years of imprisonment, although he only served nine months. The offense at issue is not an offense enumerated in § 4B1.2(l)(ii) or in Application Note 2.5 Thus, we must determine whether Rutherford’s offense involved the “use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force” under § 4B1.2(1)(i) or whether it presented “a serious potential risk of physical injury” under § 4B1.2(1)(ii).
II. Use of Force Under § 4B1.2(l)(i)
The government does not argue that Rutherford’s offense involved the “use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against ... another.” Still, the argument that Rutherford used force by injuring another person in a drunk driving accident merits discussion. We begin, as we must when interpreting any statute or gmdeline, with the plain language of § 4B1.2(1)(i). United States v. Rosado, 866 F.2d 967, 969 (7th Cir.1989).
Rutherford argues that the word “use” implies an intentional act rather than the mere application or exertion of force. The common understanding of the word “use” supports this view. “Use” is defined as “[t]he act of employing a thing for any (esp. a profitable) purpose.” The Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed. vol. XIX at 350 (Clarendon Press 1989). Force is exerted in many instances where it is not employed for any particular purpose. For example, earthquakes and avalanches involve the exertion of a tremendous amount of force. Such disasters, however, are freaks of nature; we can identify no intelligence or purpose behind them. Referring to a randomly occurring avalanche as a “use” of force would torture the English language. Likewise, a drunk driving accident is not the result of plan, direction, or purpose but of recklessness at worst and misfortune at best. A drunk driver who injures a pedestrian would not describe the incident by saying he “used” his car to hurt someone. In ordinary English, [373]*373the word “use” implies intentional availment.6 No availment of force in order to achieve an end is present in a drunk driving accident. Thus under a pure plain language approach, one would be hard-pressed to argue that Rutherford’s accident involved the use of force.
Consequently, we are aware of no cases holding that anything less than an intentional act may qualify as a “use” of force under § 4B1.2(l)(i). The sparse authority that exists supports the plain language reading. See United States v. Young, 990 F.2d 469, 471 (9th Cir.1993) (discussing whether possession of firearm in prison is crime of violence under § 4B1.2: “An intent to use the object in a violent manner is not a required element of the offense. Clearly, then, the statutory definition of the crime does not contain as an element the ‘use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force.’”) (citation omitted), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 114 S.Ct. 276, 126 L.Ed.2d 226 (1993); United States v. Parson, 955 F.2d 858, 866 (3rd Cir.1992) (comparing definitions of crime of violence in § 4B1.2 and 18 U.S.C. § 16: “Use of physical force is an intentional act, and therefore ... [§ 4B1.2(1)(i) ] requires specific intent to use force.”).
In addition, the structure of § 4B1.2 supports the view that the “use” of force implies an intentional act. Section 4B1.2(1) divides the definition of crime of violence into two prongs. The first prong discusses intentional acts, while the second prong discusses acts with a mental state of less than intent.
Section 4B1.2(l)(i) (Prong I) classifies crimes involving the “use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force” as crimes of violence. Attempts and threats, the acts grouped with the “use” of force in Prong I, are both intentional acts. Under the common law, an attempt “include[s] a specific intent to commit the unlawful act.” Braxton v. United States, 500 U.S. 344, 351 n. **, 111 S.Ct. 1854, 1859 n. **, 114 L.Ed.2d 385 (1991); see also M. Cherif Bassiouni, Substantive Criminal Law ch. 5 § 2.2.1 at 205 (Charles C. Thomas 1978) (“To be charged with attempt, a person must possess the intent to commit a specific crime”); Wayne R. LaFave and Austin W. Scott, Jr., Substantive Criminal Law
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CUMMINGS, Circuit Judge.
Shawn D. Rutherford pled guilty to bank robbery, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), and possession of a firearm by a felon, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). The district court found that Rutherford had two previous convictions for crimes of violence, rendering him a career offender under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1.1 The career offender guideline gave Rutherford an offense level of 29 and a criminal history category of VI, yielding a sentencing range of 151 to 188 months. If Rutherford had not qualified as a career offender, he would have had an offense level of 21 and a criminal history category of V, resulting in a sentencing range of 70 to 87 months. The district court imposed a sentence of 188 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
On appeal, Rutherford argues that his 1993 conviction in an Alabama state court for first-degree' assault does not qualify as a crime of violence.2 He was convicted of assault for [372]*372“driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and causing serious bodily injury to the person of another with the motor vehicle.” Presentence Report at 9.3 Rutherford contends that the definition of crime of violence under the career offender guideline does not encompass vehicular assault.
I. Definition of “Crime of Violence” Under the Career Offender Guideline
Section 4B1.2 of the Guidelines defines “crime of violence” for the purposes of the career offender guideline. Under § 4B1.2(1)
“The term ‘crime of violence’ means any offense under federal or state law punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year that—
(i) has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another, or
(ii) is burglary of a dwelling, arson, or extortion, involves use of explosives, or otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.”
Application Note 2 to § 4B1.2 requires that we limit our inquiry to “the conduct set forth (i.e., expressly charged) in the count of which the defendant was convicted.” Application Note 2; United States v. Lee, 22 F.3d 736, 738 (7th Cir.1994).4
First-degree assault is a felony in Alabama, Ala.Code § 13A-6-20(b), and Rutherford received a sentence of five years of imprisonment, although he only served nine months. The offense at issue is not an offense enumerated in § 4B1.2(l)(ii) or in Application Note 2.5 Thus, we must determine whether Rutherford’s offense involved the “use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force” under § 4B1.2(1)(i) or whether it presented “a serious potential risk of physical injury” under § 4B1.2(1)(ii).
II. Use of Force Under § 4B1.2(l)(i)
The government does not argue that Rutherford’s offense involved the “use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against ... another.” Still, the argument that Rutherford used force by injuring another person in a drunk driving accident merits discussion. We begin, as we must when interpreting any statute or gmdeline, with the plain language of § 4B1.2(1)(i). United States v. Rosado, 866 F.2d 967, 969 (7th Cir.1989).
Rutherford argues that the word “use” implies an intentional act rather than the mere application or exertion of force. The common understanding of the word “use” supports this view. “Use” is defined as “[t]he act of employing a thing for any (esp. a profitable) purpose.” The Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed. vol. XIX at 350 (Clarendon Press 1989). Force is exerted in many instances where it is not employed for any particular purpose. For example, earthquakes and avalanches involve the exertion of a tremendous amount of force. Such disasters, however, are freaks of nature; we can identify no intelligence or purpose behind them. Referring to a randomly occurring avalanche as a “use” of force would torture the English language. Likewise, a drunk driving accident is not the result of plan, direction, or purpose but of recklessness at worst and misfortune at best. A drunk driver who injures a pedestrian would not describe the incident by saying he “used” his car to hurt someone. In ordinary English, [373]*373the word “use” implies intentional availment.6 No availment of force in order to achieve an end is present in a drunk driving accident. Thus under a pure plain language approach, one would be hard-pressed to argue that Rutherford’s accident involved the use of force.
Consequently, we are aware of no cases holding that anything less than an intentional act may qualify as a “use” of force under § 4B1.2(l)(i). The sparse authority that exists supports the plain language reading. See United States v. Young, 990 F.2d 469, 471 (9th Cir.1993) (discussing whether possession of firearm in prison is crime of violence under § 4B1.2: “An intent to use the object in a violent manner is not a required element of the offense. Clearly, then, the statutory definition of the crime does not contain as an element the ‘use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force.’”) (citation omitted), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 114 S.Ct. 276, 126 L.Ed.2d 226 (1993); United States v. Parson, 955 F.2d 858, 866 (3rd Cir.1992) (comparing definitions of crime of violence in § 4B1.2 and 18 U.S.C. § 16: “Use of physical force is an intentional act, and therefore ... [§ 4B1.2(1)(i) ] requires specific intent to use force.”).
In addition, the structure of § 4B1.2 supports the view that the “use” of force implies an intentional act. Section 4B1.2(1) divides the definition of crime of violence into two prongs. The first prong discusses intentional acts, while the second prong discusses acts with a mental state of less than intent.
Section 4B1.2(l)(i) (Prong I) classifies crimes involving the “use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force” as crimes of violence. Attempts and threats, the acts grouped with the “use” of force in Prong I, are both intentional acts. Under the common law, an attempt “include[s] a specific intent to commit the unlawful act.” Braxton v. United States, 500 U.S. 344, 351 n. **, 111 S.Ct. 1854, 1859 n. **, 114 L.Ed.2d 385 (1991); see also M. Cherif Bassiouni, Substantive Criminal Law ch. 5 § 2.2.1 at 205 (Charles C. Thomas 1978) (“To be charged with attempt, a person must possess the intent to commit a specific crime”); Wayne R. LaFave and Austin W. Scott, Jr., Substantive Criminal Law § 6.2 at 24 (West 1986) (“The mental state required for the crime of attempt ... is an intent to commit some other crime.”). Thus attempted use of force requires an intentional act. Likewise, a threatened use of force must be intentional; one cannot accidentally make a threat.7 Section 4B1.2(l)(i) places threats and attempts, both intentional acts, alongside “use,” which under Young, Parson, and its ordinary meaning also implies an intentional act. This grouping together of different forms of intentional conduct demonstrates that § 4B1.2(l)(i) was meant to address intentional acts only.
The Sentencing Commission recognized, however, that many criminal acts with a mental state of less than an intent .to use force should qualify as violent crimes. Thus, the Commission added § 4B1.2(1)(ii) (Prong II), which classifies as a crime of violence any offense that “otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.” See § 4B1.2(1)(ii) (often referred to as the “otherwise” clause). Sections 4B1.2(1)(i) and (ii) work together; intentional acts are analyzed under subsection (i), while reckless and negligent acts are analyzed under the “otherwise” clause in subsection (ii).8 If the word “use” in subsection (i) included the reckless or negligent [374]*374exertion of force, the “otherwise” clause would often be redundant.9 In many cases, subsections (i) and (ii) would overlap rather than work together. In light of Young, Parson, and the plain meaning of “use,” we are persuaded that the Commission intended subsections (i) and (ii) to complement rather than compete with each other.
Finally, defining any negligent or reckless criminal act that results in injury as a “use” of force (and thus a crime of violence) creates some disturbing consequences. Namely, it classifies criminals who engage in low-risk activity but unluckily manage to hurt someone as violent offenders. For instance, if a speeding driver causes an accident and is convicted of vehicular assault, he would qualify as a violent offender under subsection (i) even though the risks of mere speeding would probably not be deemed “serious” under subsection (ii). This creates a sense of arbitrariness: if a speeder barely avoids an accident, he is not violent offender, but if the same speeder is not so fortunate and hits someone, he is suddenly transformed into a violent criminal. Section 4B1.2 does not endorse such an arbitrary scheme.10 Thus Rutherford’s first-degree assault conviction did not involve a “use” of force under § 4B1.2(1)(i).
III. The “Otherwise” Clause
Next, we must determine whether Rutherford’s conduct presented a “serious potential risk of physical injury to another” under the otherwise clause.11 The government asserts that drunk driving creates a serious risk of injury and thus falls squarely within the plain language of § 4B1.2(l)(ii). Rutherford makes two arguments in response. First, he contends that crimes of pure recklessness should not be considered crimes of violence. In the alternative, he argues that his conduct did not create a “serious potential risk of physical injury to another.”
We decline to accept Rutherford’s argument that crimes of recklessness may never constitute crimes of violence under the “otherwise” clause. Certain reckless conduct is just as dangerous as intentional conduct, and the Sentencing Commission obviously intended some dangerous, reckless criminal acts to qualify as crimes of violence. See United States v. Rutledge, 33 F.3d 671, 674 (6th Cir.1994) (conviction for reckless endangerment where defendant fired shot in direction of co-worker held “crime of violence” under § 4B1.2: although defendant claimed shot was fired in jest, conduct was “at least reckless ... [and] obviously placed ... [the co-worker] in imminent danger of serious injury”), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 115 [375]*375S.Ct. 1258, 131 L.Ed.2d 138 (1995); Parson, 955 F.2d at 861, 873 (defendant’s prior conviction for first-degree reckless endangering, where, “while shoplifting meat from a store ... [defendant] ‘pushed and slapped’ a store clerk,” constituted a crime of violence under § 4B1.2). A court must, however, tread carefully when interpreting the “otherwise” clause. “Conjecture” or “speculation” about possible harm is not sufficient to create a crime of violence under § 4B1.2; instead, there must be evidence that the crime, by its nature, presents a substantial risk or an “affirmative indication” in the indictment or information that the defendant engaged in conduct presenting a serious risk of physical injury. Lee, 22 F.3d at 740-41. Accordingly, it was held in Lee that “theft from the person of another” (e.g., pick-pocketing or purse-snatching) does not constitute a crime of violence under § 4B1.2(l)(ii), for the risk of injury to the victim is “little more than conjecture, and such speculation is not a sufficient basis ... to hold that the conduct ... is a ‘crime of violence.’ ” Id. at 741.12
The government argues that driving under the influence of alcohol always presents a serious risk of injury to another. “ ‘Drunk drivers cause an annual death toll of over 25,000 and in the same time span cause nearly one million personal injuries and more than five billion dollars in property damage.’ ” Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz, 496 U.S. 444, 451, 110 S.Ct. 2481, 2485-86, 110 L.Ed.2d 412 (1990) (footnote omitted), quoting 4 W. LaFave, Search and Seizure: A Treatise on the Fourth Amendment § 10.8(d), p. 71 (2d ed. 1987). Furthermore, Rutherford’s decision to drive while intoxicated resulted in serious injury to another person in this case, and the government contends that this fact conclusively demonstrates that his conduct posed a serious risk to others.
This Court has never determined whether a vehicular assault committed by a drunk driver or any similar offense constitutes a crime 0f violence under § 4B1.2. Nor, to the best of our knowledge, has any other court, The Fourth Circuit has heM that invoiuntary manslaughter is a crime of violence, United States v. Payton, 28 F.3d 17, 19 (4th Cir.1994), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 115 S.Ct. 452, 130 L.Ed.2d 361 (1994), and the Ninth Circuit has held that vehicular manslaughter is a crime of violence under an old version of the guideline. United States v. O’Neal, 937 F.2d 1369, 1375 (9th Cir.1990). However, both the current Application Notes and the ones in effect when O’Neal was decided specifically list manslaughter as a crime of violence. U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2, Application Note 2; U.S.S.G. Appendix C, Amendment 268 (Amending Application Notes).13 Thus neither Payton nor O’Neal provides us with any assistance in the present case.
We must therefore determine as a matter of first impression whether drunk driving presents a serious risk of physical injury under the “otherwise” clause. The government urges that we need not reach this question, because an element of Rutherford’s assault conviction was that he caused “serious bodily injury” to another person. Ala. Code § 13A-6-20(a)(5). Seemingly, the risk is 100% that someone convicted of assault under this Alabama provision will cause physical injury to another, because physical injury is an element of the offense. This argument, however, confuses the analysis under § 4B1.2(1)(i) with that under § 4B1.2(1)(ii). Subsection (i) requires courts to look at the element's of the offense. Subsection (ii), however, makes no mention of [376]*376the statutory elements per se. Rather, subsection (ii) focuses on the conduct involved in the offense; the sole concern is with the actions of the offender. It is necessary to separate the offender’s actions from the effect of his actions. The “otherwise” clause in § 4B1.2(1)(ii) requires us to discuss the conduct that creates the risk of physical injury (ie., driving while intoxicated), not the effect of that conduct (ie., causing serious bodily injury to another). To say that Rutherford’s conduct created a serious risk of injury because he in fact injured another person is nonsensical. Injury may occasionally result from conduct that presents a minimal risk, and the fact that an injury occurred will not automatically convert, for instance, a case of minor neglect into a crime of violence (cf. Part II, supra). Thus we must determine whether drunk driving — the act that Rutherford engaged in as opposed to the effect of his act — creates a serious risk of physical injury to another.
Drunk driving is a reckless act, perhaps an act of gross recklessness. Any drunk driver who takes to the road should know he runs a risk of injuring another person. The extent of the risk will of course vary from case to case, depending on how intoxicated the driver is, how far he drives, how fast he drives, and how many other drivers and pedestrians are sharing the road with him. But these facts are not before us in the case at hand, nor are they likely to be in subsequent cases, for Lee and Application Note 2 limit our consideration to the conduct expressly charged in the indictment or information. Regardless of the details, however, it is hardly surprising that Rutherford’s decision to drive while intoxicated resulted in physical injury to another person. Similarly, the defendant in Rutledge should not have stood in amazement had his bullet, even if fired in jest, struck an unintended target. Our laws often impose severe penalties on people who engage in reckless activity that is also highly dangerous, and with good reason. “[R]eckless indifference to the value of human life may be every bit as shocking to the moral sense as an ‘intent to kill.’ ” Tison v. Arizona, 481 U.S. 137, 157, 107 S.Ct. 1676, 1688, 95 L.Ed.2d 127 (1987) (holding death penalty constitutional for felony with mental state of reckless indifference that results in murder).
By driving while intoxicated, Rutherford “present[ed] a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.” The dangers of drunk driving are well-known and well documented. Unlike other acts that may present some risk of physical injury, such as pickpocketing (cf. Lee) or perhaps child neglect or certain environmental crimes like the mishandling of hazardous wastes or pollutants, the risk of injury from drunk driving is neither conjectural nor speculative. Driving under the influence vastly increases the probability that the driver will injure someone in an accident. Out of the more than 34,000 fatal traffic accidents in 1992, 36.1 percent involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of over .10 percent, and another 9 percent involved a driver with a BAC of between .01 and .09 percent. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 114th ed., Table 1016, p. 633 (1994).14 Drunk driving, by its nature, presents a serious risk of physical injury, and the courts have held that other crimes that often lead to violence or injury are crimes of violence under the “otherwise” clause. Cf. United States v. Gosling, 39 F.3d 1140, 1142 (10th Cir.1994) (escape from prison is a crime of violence under § 4B1.2(1)(ii): although not every escape results in violence, “escape ... is a powder keg ... [and] violence could erupt at any time.”); United States v. Lonczak, 993 F.2d 180, 181-82 (9th Cir.1993) (child stealing, defined as “enticing away any minor child” — “forcibly” or “fraudulently,” is a crime of violence even though it does not necessarily require an exertion of force). Drunk driving is a reckless act that often results in injury, and the risks of driving while intoxicated are well-known. This is sufficient to satisfy the “serious risk” stan[377]*377dard of the “otherwise” clause.15 Thus Rutherford’s Alabama conviction for first-degree assault qualifies as a crime of violence under § 4B1.2(1)(ii).16
IY. Conclusion
While it is somewhat troubling that felony drunk driving qualifies as a crime of violence under the “otherwise” clause,17 drunk driving is undoubtedly a serious offense. State v. Michalski, 221 Neb. 380, 377 N.W.2d 510, 520 (1985) (“We have no difficulty concluding ... [that drunk driving] is a serious offense”).18 It is not, however, normally referred to or sentenced as a crime of violence. LaBauve v. State, 618 So.2d 1187 (La.App.1993) (“LaBauve was arrested for drunk driving which is not a violent crime.”). We share the concern of the Parson court that the “otherwise” clause may cause offenders who never intended to harm another person to be sentenced as career criminals — an effect that perhaps the Sentencing Commission did not foresee.19 We invite the Commission to re-evaluate its definition of crime of violence and to determine whether every person convicted of felony drunk driving should therefore have one of the two prior convictions for a crime of violence necessary for career offender status. The role of the courts, however, is to enforce the Guidelines, and the plain language of the “otherwise” clause encompasses Rutherford’s assault conviction. Thus the decision of the district court is
Affirmed.