What Percentage of Accidents Are Caused by Drunk Driving?
Across the United States, 29 people are killed every day in alcohol-related car accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drunk drivers are responsible for 40% of all motor vehicle fatalities each year. In addition, alcohol-related traffic accidents cost more than $44 billion each year. This is the most expensive type of car accident, and it is one of the most preventable.
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The percentage of alcohol-related crashes is calculated for each state. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol-impaired drivers contributed to 290 traffic fatalities in the United States in 2007. In addition, there were tens of thousands of people involved in alcohol-related crashes, including those who were not driving. Alcohol-impaired drivers were involved in 30 percent of all roadway fatalities from 2004 to 2018.
The highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes was in Montana. In addition, light trucks were the most likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash. In addition, a large percentage of alcohol-related crashes occurred at night.
The largest percentage of alcohol-impaired fatalities was among drivers under 21. Drivers under the age of 21 accounts for one-quarter of all alcohol-related traffic fatalities. In addition, a large percentage of drivers who were involved in alcohol-related crashes were repeat offenders. The majority of alcohol-related fatalities occur in crashes where a driver’s blood alcohol content was over 0.15.
Aside from being dangerous, drunk driving can also cause a variety of problems for the driver. These include a slower reaction time, drowsiness, and a poor ability to judge distances. In addition, drunk driving can also cause memory lapses and reduced coordination. The driver can also be unable to recognize traffic signs. In addition, alcohol-related crashes are most likely to occur during the summer months, with 68% of all fatal crashes occurring at night.
The number of deaths caused by alcohol-impaired driving in the United States has decreased by nearly 50 percent since 1991. The rate of alcohol-impaired fatalities decreased by nearly half when drivers were at the legal drinking age. However, drunk driving still caused 1,323 deaths in 2015.
In addition to being a threat to drivers, alcohol-related crashes can also cause injury to passengers in a car. These crashes are particularly dangerous for young people. 17 percent of all traffic fatalities among children under the age of 15 involved alcohol-impaired drivers.
In addition, the legal blood alcohol content limit for drivers is 0.08 grams of alcohol per dL. This means that drivers with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.08 grams per dL can be convicted of a DUI. As a result, the cost of a full coverage car insurance policy increases by an average of $3,555 after a DUI conviction. Survivors of these accidents often suffer catastrophic injuries.
In addition to causing several fatal crashes, alcohol-impaired drivers also cause an estimated 578 vehicles to be damaged each day. In addition, alcohol-impaired drivers are responsible for more than 1 million accidents each year.