It’s no surprise to anyone that drinking and driving are unsafe, illegal, and easily preventable. As a personal injury lawyer focused on helping the victims of drunk and distracted drivers, I come across new facts about drinking and driving often. Here are some that surprised me or made me realize even more how dangerous it is.
- In the US alone, someone is killed by a drunk driver every 45 minutes.
- Alcohol is responsible for nearly half of auto vehicle crashes where a teen is killed (46%).
- In 40% of traffic deaths in the US at any age, alcohol is involved.
- It doesn’t take much. Studies reveal that 3 or 4 regular sized beers for a 170 pound male make him too drunk to drive. For a woman of average size, it may only take 1 to 3.
- About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders.
- An estimated 27,000 lives have been saved with the passage of the 21 minimum drinking age law.
- You’re already paying for it. On average, drunk driving costs an American adult $800 per year.
- Think coffee, a cold shower, or a workout will help you work the alcohol out of your system? No, only time can do that.
- About one-third of those arrested for drunk driving are repeat offenders.
- Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol.
- When installed, ignition interlocks (which I wrote about here) are associated with about a 70% reduction in arrest rates for impaired driving.
- Among drivers with BAC levels of 0.08 % or higher involved in fatal crashes in 2013, one out of every 3 were between 21 and 24 years of age (33%). The next two largest groups were ages 25 to 34 (29%) and 35 to 44 (24%)
Sources:
CDC Impaired Driving Factsheet
MADD Statistics
If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver, call Bill Coats Law right away. With twenty years’ experience, we will help you through a difficult time and get the money you deserve for your injuries and hardships.