How Many People A Year Die From Drunk Driving?
How Many People Die From Drunk Driving Every Year?
Drunk driving causes the death of over 100,000 Americans every year. While the number has decreased considerably over the past three decades, it remains a staggering statistic. The rate of drunk driving deaths varies based on location, age, and BAC, the percentage of alcohol in a driver’s bloodstream.
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Deaths from drunk driving decreased by 14% between 2004 and 2018
In a new study, the number of fatal accidents caused by alcohol-impaired drivers decreased by 14% between 2004 and 2018. The study found that states that had stricter alcohol laws had lower rates of alcohol-impaired crashes. While these results do not represent strong causal links, they do demonstrate the potential of alcohol taxes and policies to reduce drunk driving deaths.
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation (NHTSA) released a report detailing traffic safety statistics. The report shows that total roadway fatalities decreased by 1.4%. However, deaths caused by distracted driving (cell phone use while driving) increased by 7.2%. While drunk driving and distracted driving were down, fatalities caused by speeding and not wearing a seat belt increased by 11.2% and 9%, respectively. Additionally, pedestrian and bicyclist deaths rose by 1.3% and 9%, respectively.
BAC is a percentage of the amount of alcohol in a driver’s bloodstream
If you are driving and you have been drinking, you should know that the blood alcohol content (BAC) level can be dangerously high. The BAC level increases with each hour of alcohol intake, but it may take hours for your body to completely rid itself of alcohol. That’s why it’s important to allow yourself plenty of time after drinking to eliminate alcohol from your system.
A BAC of 0.05 or higher may lead to impaired brain function and impaired judgment. This could result in impaired reaction time, emotional numbness, and even passing out. It can also lead to alcohol poisoning, which is fatal.
Rates vary depending on age
According to the NHTSA, the most dangerous age groups in terms of drunk driving fatalities are young adults ages 21 to 24. Drivers in fatal accidents in this age group were 1.5 times more likely to be legally intoxicated than the national average. As a result, the percentage of fatal drunk driving accidents has decreased as people get older. But, this decrease has not been uniform. Male drivers are still 1.5 times more likely to be intoxicated than female drivers in fatal crashes.
The minimum drinking age is 21 in the United States, and zero-tolerance laws are in place in every state. However, rates of fatal injuries due to alcohol intoxication among 16-to-20-year-old passenger vehicle drivers are significantly lower than those of drivers aged 21 to 50. This is because the number of underage drunk drivers is smaller than those in the age group of 21 to 50.
Time of year
According to the NHTSA, over 10 thousand people die on American roadways each year from drunk driving. While the number of fatal drunk driving accidents remains up, the overall rate is decreasing. Drunk driving-related crashes account for less than 30 percent of traffic fatalities nationwide. The number of fatal accidents due to drunk driving varies by location and age group. Young drivers, women, and drivers with prior DUI convictions are the most likely to be involved in such crashes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one person dies every 52 minutes in a drunk driving crash. In addition, about 74,000 people suffer serious injuries in these accidents every year. These statistics vary by state, but one thing is certain: one out of three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash at some point in their life.