Alcohol contributes to an astonishing 40% of fatal crashes where every 51 minutes, a driver dies and gets injured from a drunk driving-related accident.
Driving under the influence of alcohol impairs your judgment, and you will make bad decisions on the road. Additionally, you are likely to get into a confrontation with other drivers.
Sadly, drunk driving cases are rising in the US despite the rules and regulations imposed to reduce them. Let’s check the surprising drunk driving facts.
8 Facts About Drunk Driving
1. There’s a Drunk Driving Accident Every 51 Minutes
Drunk driving statistics show a rise in these deaths, where a person dies every 51 minutes due to drunk driving. Due to impaired judgment, the driver may collide with other cars causing more deaths, especially at night.
Sometimes it even affects pedestrians when drunk drivers fail to obey the traffic lights or run into pavements, causing more injuries and deaths. In 2020 only, there were 11654 deaths from drunk driving, an increase from 10,239 deaths in 2019.
However, deaths have been reduced over the decade, with drunk driving traffic deaths at 48% and 30% in 2020.
2. It’s Costly to Manage Drunk Driving Aftermath
The annual estimation of the drunk driving cost was $123 billion, which includes the cost of managing accidents and medical expenses for injury victims.
Another aftermath cost is repairing the cars, which needs more from your insurance, and in some fatal cases, the vehicles are entirely damaged after the crash, meaning you should get a new one.
Remember that drunk driving leads to death, and if you are lucky enough to get injuries, you leave your family and friends with the burden of caring for you. Avoid alcohol and protect yourself from drunk drivers too.
3. Alcohol Type Doesn’t Determine the Impairment
Some drivers believe that the kind of alcohol they take will affect their driving. The fact remains that it’s not the type of alcohol you take but the number of drinks you take in a certain period that raises your alcohol concentrations.
The level of impairment also depends on the food you take before or while drinking and your body weight, not to mention that gender matters too.
Discard myths that a cold shower or taking coffee and milk after a drinking spree will lower your alcohol level to keep you sober on the road. Once the alcohol gets into your blood, you will experience the effects such as reduced visibility and, worst, when behind the wheel.
4. The US Has a No-Tolerance Policy for Alcohol Levels for Under 21 Drivers
Drunk driving is common among teenagers, and according to the NHTSA, there are countermeasures and policies to prevent teen drivers from drunk driving. Zero tolerance for drunk driving for people under 21 years aims to reduce cases of teen-related crashes.
In New York, the BAC should be below .02g/dL for those under 21 drivers, which means it’s prohibited to drive with any alcohol content. Additionally, alcohol vendors should reduce the availability of alcohol by selling it to people over 21.
5. There are Tough Penalties for Drunk Driving
If you are charged with drunk driving, you must face the consequences. The level of impairment determines the kind of penalty you get. Imagine investing in your driving classes only to get revocation due to drunk driving.
When the BAC is .08 or higher, you will get a license revocation of at least six months and a mandatory fine of $1000 to $ 2500. Under zero tolerance law, underage drivers get a $125 civil penalty and a $100 re-application fee.
You should take the alcohol level test when suspected of drunk driving, and refusal within five years after the last test will lead to revocation of license for 18 months. Commercial drivers will get a permanent CDL revocation.
6. Teens and Young Adult Drivers Risk Drunk Driving
According to research, a high percentage of drivers that drive under the influence of alcohol are teens and young drivers who take any amount and forget that they are supposed to drive home.
At the same BAC level concentration as senior adult drivers, they are at risk of more impairment and are likely to over speed.
In 2019, about 5% of high school students drove after drinking. In 2020, driving crashes through impaired driving by alcohol were mostly by drivers between 21 and 24 years at a rate of 26%.
The rate is also high in male teen drivers, who make up 22% of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes compared to 16% of females.
7. Drunk Drivers will Drive 80 Times Before the First Arrest
On New York roads, you will easily get away with drunk driving, especially if you are driving on local roads. On several occasions, you will get away with it and get home.
With a few attempts of drunk driving, you may think of adding your alcohol which leads to more impairment which will earn you a fine or revocation of your driver’s license.
8. Drunk Drivers are Likely to Get into Road Rage Confrontations
With poor visibility when behind the wheel, you are likely to tailgate other cars or hit them, leading to disagreements. It may worsen; most drunk drivers can’t control their anger and may hit other drivers.
Road confrontations are dangerous, especially with the freedom of obtaining guns, leading to increased road rage shootings. Avoiding distractions and taking alcohol will increase your reaction time and concentration for a safe encounter with other drivers.
Which is The Best Way to Prevent Drunk Driving
Avoiding alcohol will keep you from accidents, and the state government creates awareness of the aftermath. However, if you must drink, get a designated driver to take you home after a party, and when with your friends, you can volunteer to be one and keep off the bottle for the night and save your friends from getting into the road rage statistics.
Final Thoughts
Driving under the influence of alcohol has become a concern in the US, where people disregard the rules imposed to govern it. Lives are lost, and there are some nursing their injuries from related accidents. Keep safe by getting a designated driver.
Our driving classes emphasize the importance of sober driving and educate teens on the impacts of drunk driving. Enroll for driving lessons at our school and get the best services for a safer drive.
I’m a certified driving instructor for cars, buses, and tractors with 17+ years of experience. When not teaching aspiring drivers how to drive, I enjoy spending time with my family and playing with my kids.