Drunk Driving Statistics

Car AccidentAccording to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 30 people in America die every day because of a vehicular crash involving drunk driving. If you think about it on an even bigger scale, this figure amounts to 1 death every 51 minutes. Additionally, the CDC also figures the yearly costs associated with alcohol-related accidents total more than $59 billion.

Thankfully, there are stricter laws and effective measures in place to help prevent accidents and deaths related to drunk driving.

Whether or not someone is impaired from alcohol isn’t determined by the type consumed, it’s dependent on the number of drinks a person has consumed over a certain period of time. According to DoSomething.Org, the average person will get behind the wheel and drive drunk approximately 80 times before he or she will be arrested. Alarming isn’t it?

In another statistic by DoSomething.Org, between 50% to 75% of all individuals who have had their license revoked because of a DUI or DWI, will drive illegally without a license. Thanks to law enforcement and stricter laws, there has been a steady decline in the number of fatalities due to alcohol-related accidents.

Today, children are starting to drink alcohol at a younger age, and by the time they reach the teen years or become a young adult, many will wind up hurt from an alcohol-related accident and/or become physically addicted to alcohol.

DrinkingandDriving.Org reports 140,000 men, women and children have been killed from drunk driving since September 11th, 2001. Although alcohol related deaths have been reduced, something more must be done to save lives.

What can be done to prevent drunk driving? There are many ways in which drunk driving can be prevented and it starts by planning ahead whenever you plan on going to a social occasion where alcohol is offered. You should decide ahead of time who will be the designated driver. When you go out and socialize with a group of friends, it’s a good idea to take turns being the designated driver, that way it’s fair and everyone gets home safely at the end of the night.

Designated drivers have saved countless lives and prevented even more people from getting behind the wheel and becoming hurt or hurting someone else in an accident.

If you happen to be at a bar or party and notice one of your friends has drank too much, take the keys away to prevent him or her from getting behind the wheel while impaired. Depending on where you live, rather than driving intoxicated, take public transportation – in these situations it’s better to be safe than sorry!