National Drunk Driving Auto Accident Statistics

While the numbers and statistics relating to drunk driving are staggering, the reality of the effects of drunk driving to anyone who has lost a loved one can be completely overwhelming. The bottom line is that drinking and driving is dangerous and having as little as one drink can alter your perception and increase the likelihood that you will be involved in a motor-vehicle accident that could cause serious injury or death to you, your passengers or other innocent people on the road.

This is a price that nobody should have to pay and you should certainly make arrangements for a ride in advance if you plan to consume alcohol since your judgment is skewed once you start drinking.

As far as the numbers go, more than 17,000 people die every year as the result of a car accident where drinking was involved. That is more than 46 people every day or almost 2 people every hour that die due to drinking and driving. These deaths account for over 40 percent of all traffic related fatalities so you can imagine how much safer everyone would be on the road if drinking and driving could be eliminated. Sadly, 60 percent of all drunk driving deaths are caused by repeat offenders, many of whom have lost their licenses due to drunk driving convictions.

Even sadder is the fact that underage drinkers account for 14 percent of all drunk driving auto accident deaths. If those people who should not be drinking at all and those who have been found guilty of drunk driving could be kept off the road we could reduce drunk driving deaths by 74 percent and over 12,000 lives could be saved each year. While the number of alcohol related accidents leading to death is incredible, the number of people injured in drunk driving accidents is even more mind numbing. Someone is seriously injured by a drunk driver every two minutes which means that by the time you finish reading this article another person has been harmed by a drunk driver.

To learn more about your legal entitlements, it is important to speak with skilled truck accident lawyers, product liability attorneys, wrongful death lawyers, and Sacramento and Stockton personal injury attorneys.