Drunk driving is one of the deadliest forms of distracted or compromised driving, as it results in at least one death per hour in the United States. Even more frequent are injuries caused by drunk drivers, occurring every two minutes. Alarming statistics provided by M.A.D.D.(Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has revealed that millions of Americans are driving under the influence every single month. The prevalence of this deadly habit is overwhelming, and you must remain vigilant of whom you are sharing the road with at any given time. America has a big problem with compromised drivers on the road, so you must do all you can to protect yourself.
Danger on the Road
Drunk driving, though many are aware of its legality, has, unfortunately, not decreased in frequency. Rather, it has become even more commonplace in the American public. In 2017, it was found that 15% of all fatal collisions that occurred on the weekdays were either caused by or involved a drunk driver. Even during a time when one would expect the average adult to be sober for work or school, the proportion of fatalities and injuries due to drunk driving are stunningly high. This number nearly doubled on weekends, rising to 28%.
The demographic that is most likely to get behind the wheel while under the influence are individuals between the ages of 26-29 years old, representing approximately 21% of all drivers on the road. Since nearly one-quarter of all drivers could be drunk driving at any given moment, it should not be too surprising to learn that an average of 2 out of every 3 people will be involved in a collision with a drunk driver during their lifetime. As marijuana has become legalized in many states across the country, some are combining their alcohol with recreational use of the substance.
It was found that nearly 7% of drivers involved in fatal crashes had detectable levels of THC in their blood. (Whether they were the drunk driver or the victim is unknown.) Though many use the drug for medicinal purposes, there are still a large number of people who use it recreationally, and the incidents involving the substance are beginning to mirror those of prescription drugs: Approximately 22% of lives lost in auto collisions are attributed to controlled substances.
A Growing Problem
Those behind the wheel are not always adults, however. A shocking percentage of teens – about 14% admit to the habit of binge drinking (unbeknownst to their parents) – this includes teenagers from the young age of 12 up to 17 years old. These numbers are staggering, especially when given the fact that, in 2018, more than 401,000 teenagers were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.
Drunk driving shows no signs of slowing down. In 2014, there were more than 111 million self-reported drunk driving episodes recorded by the CDC. America has a big problem with compromised drivers on the road, so you must do all you can to protect yourself. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, you are entitled to compensation. Get in touch with an expert accident attorney to get the compensation and protection you need to have a full, peaceful recovery.
