All American states have a vast amount of statistics about motor vehicle accidents caused by impaired driving. As those of us who live and work in Pennsylvania already know, this state has its own share of crashes caused by alcohol and drugs. With all of the widespread knowledge regarding impaired driving, it is natural to wonder why these motor vehicle accidents continue to occur.
Unfortunately, there is no answer to the question of why. However, continuing to spread facts regarding impaired driving may at least reduce the statistics. Below you will find several unsettling facts about this phenomenon to share with the people you care about.
- Nearly 10,500 people died in 2016 (the last year for which the Centers for Disease Control has figures) in motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol
- Impairment caused by substances other than alcohol is a factor in approximately 16% of vehicle crashes
- Every 120 seconds, a person suffers injury in a drunk driving accident
- Those who experiment with alcohol while young are seven times more likely to experience an alcohol-related crash within their lifetimes
- A drunk driver will operate a vehicle while impaired approximately 80 times before an arrest occurs
- In the U.S., someone dies in an impaired driving crash about every 51 minutes
Most of you reading this article probably understand the dangers of taking the wheel while impaired. Going a step further, perhaps you are the victim of a motor vehicle accident caused by impaired driving and are searching for a legal solution.
Although it may seem ineffective when compared with the enormity of the problem, spreading the word about the dangers of impaired driving can help. So can the decision to hold negligent drivers legally responsible for their transgressions behind the wheel.