Alcohol-Impaired Drivers: Do You Know the Facts?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), “in 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes” which accounts for one-third of the fatalities that occurred in traffic-related deaths. Each and every day you awake and carry on with your daily routines, 28 individuals living in the U.S. lose their life in a vehicular accident where alcohol played a role. Therefore, local car accident lawyers in Washington are here today to share with you some facts displaying just how serious DUI is, and what efforts you can make in order to prevent injuries from alcohol-impaired drivers.
Many drunk driving accidents occur because the motorist felt they
were stable enough to get behind the wheel.
While many turn to statistical data to simply gain a number and use for data and research, these particular numbers represent lives. Lives of individuals who woke up, made their way to work or school, and never had the opportunity to continue on. These numbers don’t necessarily pertain to those who are inexperienced drivers, rather, they represent the many innocent individuals who engaged in these crashes all because of a person who decided it was “okay” to get behind the wheel of their vehicle after consuming alcohol.
Car accident attorneys in Washington point out that when considering this number of fatalities from 2014, 209 of these deaths included children between the ages of 0 to 14 years old. And what’s even more appalling is that of these 209 children who lost their lives, nearly half “were riding in the vehicle with the alcohol-impaired driver.”
While officers do their part to monitor the roadways, drivers too must be more responsible.
While police officials and other cognizant drivers out on the roadway make an effort to identify anyone who may be impaired, these attempts do in fact help reduce the number of fatal accidents from occurring. “In 2014, 1.1 million drivers were arrested for” DUI of alcohol or narcotics.
So now that car crash lawyers nearby to you have provided you with this statistical data, there is one question left and that is: What are some ways you can prevent injuries that are caused by alcohol-impaired drivers? And the answer is quite simple.
According to the CDC, there are a number of things you can do, and some of those are provided for you below.
If friends are drinking, never allow them to drive themselves or others home.
- Never allow your friends or family to drive impaired.
- Always have a designated driver who isn’t drinking within your group.
- Take a taxi home if you have consumed alcohol.
- If you are the host of a party with alcohol, “remind you guests to plan ahead” and ensure they have a reliable way home.
Although these may appear to be common knowledge, the more they are reiterated, the better chance you are at reflecting on them the moment you consume a drink and know you are responsible for driving you, and even others, home.
In the event you are ever in a car accident, remember, you do have legal options and you can learn just what those are by speaking with a licensed and reputable car accident law firm nearby in Washington.
