Drunk Driving Stats To Remember Before You Have That Last Beer
Posted by admin at 21 May 2018, at 21 : 16 PM
It’s easy to get a little carried away of an evening, and there are plenty of folks in the country who will admit – privately, at least – to have driven a vehicle while drunk on occasion. But whether your car runs on gas, diesel, electric or hybrid power, one thing it has in common with all the other is that it is one or two tons of metal with the ability to make a mess of any person.
Bleak? Perhaps. But the reality is that while drunk driving fatalities on the nation’s highways have decreased dramatically in the past 30 years or so – by half, in fact – there are still too many people dying on the roads, completely needlessly. So, in our attempt at a little public service, here are a few facts and stats to burn into your brain, so the next time you buy that extra beer, you might think again.
The Daily Disaster
OK, so let’s get started with the basics. Around 29 people die in the United States every single day, due to alcohol-impaired driving. That works out at around one person every 50 minutes. Sure, when you consider the population, it might seem like a small number, but let’s be honest. Those 29 people make up more two-thirds of a football squad. It’s a whole school class. And it’s probably a lot more people dying, every day, that you can truly count as people you know as friends that you would trust with your life.
A Young Disease
If you are between the ages of 21 and 34 you are more likely to drunk drive than any other age. And let’s be clear – if you get caught or, perish the thought, end up causing someone harm as a result, you will get the book thrown at you. At the very least you can expect a fine well into the four-figure area – which not many young people can afford.
A Widespread Problem
The FBI report that 1.4 million people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. While that’s only 1% of the 112 million who admit to driving drunk, it’s still a significant sum. However, the average person convicted of alcohol-impaired driving has done it already 80 times. If you drive drunk, one big question you should be asking is – how many times have you got left?
A New Hope?
While all of this is grim reading, the reality is that the data suggests things are getting better. In 2014, the United States enjoyed a 13-year low, and as we discussed in the intro, there have been huge improvements since the dark days of the early 1980s. We’re clearly heading in the right direction, and the figures are improving even though we are all driving more miles each year. So, let’s see if we make things even safer, right?