Although the total number of drunk driving deaths in the United States has been on a slow but steady decline over the past several decades, there are still far too many injuries and deaths caused by intoxicated motorists across the country in a given year. Unfortunately, these accidents could easily be avoided if drivers would avoid getting behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking.
The following are few eye-opening facts about drunk driving to show the full extent of the problem, as well as some misconceptions about it:
- Impairment has more to do with the amount of drinks consumed over a period of time, rather than the type of alcohol consumed.
- There is no such thing as a beverage (like coffee), exercise or shower helping someone to sober up more quickly so that they can drive. The only true sobriety solution is time.
- Individuals arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) will drive drunk an average of 80 times before they are first arrested.
- Every 90 seconds in the United States, someone is injured by a drunk driver. Every 53 minutes, someone is killed, amounting to 27 people per day. In 2011 alone, nearly 10,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes.
- Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, with approximately one third of those deaths involving alcohol in some way.
- In 2010, 211 children were killed in drunk driving accidents. Approximately 62 percent of those children were passengers in the drunk driver’s vehicle.
Please be aware that the choices you make could impact lives other than your own. Getting behind the wheel after drinking is never worth the risk. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a drunk driving crash, speak with a compassionate auto accident attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh today.