The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has gathered an assortment of statistics which demonstrate how widespread the problem of drunk driving has become in this country. Individuals driving under the influence of alcohol are responsible for causing one person to die in a fatal car crash every 48 minutes. Drivers with a blood alcohol concentration level of greater than 0.08% are considered driving under the influence (DUI). With almost 30 deaths a day caused by drunk driving, it is not surprising that approximately 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States involve alcohol-impaired drivers. Over 10,000 people died in drunk driving accidents in 2010, including 211 child passengers. The economic cost of drunk driving is a staggering $51 billion annually in the United States.
Frequent Drunk Drivers Include Young Adults – Motorcyclists – DWI Repeat Offenders
Every year in the United States there are 112 million adults who report driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Over 1.4 million arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol were made in 2010. In general, the risk of being involved in a drunk driving accident is higher for young people than older people. Young drivers between 21 and 24 years of age were involved in 34% of the fatal drunk driving accidents in 2010, followed closely by drivers between 25 and 34, who were involved in 30% of the 2010 fatal drunk driving accidents. The statistics show that 28% of motorcyclists killed in fatal crashes in 2010 were drunk drivers. Drivers with prior driving while impaired (DWI) convictions were four times as likely to be involved in a fatal drunk driving accident.
Safety Measures in Place to Prevent Drunk Driving Accidents
Police departments throughout the country have instituted numerous safety measures to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road. A 9% reduction in the number of alcohol-related crashes is the result of the use of sobriety checkpoints and traffic stops to assess a driver’s level of alcohol impairment. The use of ignition interlocks, devices which prevent the operation of a vehicle by anyone with a designated blood alcohol level, has reduced the arrest rates for impaired driving by 70%. Health promotion efforts, active enforcement of minimum legal drinking age laws, zero tolerance laws for under 21 drivers, community based DWI programs, mandatory substance abuse and treatment for DWI offenders, and raising the price of alcohol are other effective safety measures used to address the problem of drunk driving in the United States.
All drivers should be aware of how their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can affect their driving ability. If your social plans involve the consumption of alcohol, make plans to use a designated driver or a taxi service to avoid drunk driving. Party hosts serving alcohol should offer alcohol free drinks and make sure to take the keys away from drunk drivers.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates Hold Negligent Parties Accountable for Drunk Driving
Despite these precautions, drunk driving accidents do occur. If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a drunk driving car accident in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, you need the help of the Philadelphia car accident attorneys at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates. Our attorneys will fully investigate your claim and have the experience to identify all the negligent parties to be held accountable for your personal injuries or the wrongful death of your loved one. Our offices are conveniently located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Voorhees, New Jersey. Contact the car accident law firm of Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates today at 215-567-6600 or submit an online injury to schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers.