Recent drunk driving statistics in Nevada and across the nation are a reason for concern for the many people who must brave public roads each day. Some would argue that the number of drunk driving accidents on the roadways of America should be considered commonplace for a country with more than 300 million residents. However, gaining an understanding of the motor vehicle accident trends for drunk drivers will crystallize the importance of finding solutions to the drunk driving problem in the world’s second-largest car market.
The fact that one in three people in the country will have some involvement with a drunk driving MVA in their lifetimes is all the evidence needed to realize just how big a problem drunk driving is in America. Another giveaway is the more than 28 million people responding to a study in 2013 admitted to drinking and driving.
The estimates show that more than 300,000 drunk drivers take to the roads of America daily. Of this number, less than one percent of these drivers face arrest by police. This statistic becomes more alarming once you consider the average drunk driver commits the offense about 80 times before finally being arrested.
The statistics show that drunk drivers pose a significant threat to children also. Nearly one in five children who become traffic fatalities are part of an accident caused by drunk drivers. Fifty-four percent of the time, the intoxicated driver is operating the vehicle in which the child is riding.
During a period that began in 2009 and ended in 2018, an average of 10,000 people lost their lives annually to drunk driving accidents. These deaths represent 30 percent of the traffic fatalities that take place each year.
Fifteen percent of the pedestrians who lost their lives after being hit by a car were hit by a drunk driver. It is also observed that one in three of the pedestrians killed by a car are also under the influence of alcohol.
The numbers concerning drunk driving and motorcyclists are just as alarming. One in four motorcyclists who die on the road possess blood alcohol content more than the legal limit.
The devastation a drunk driver can cause to passengers in their vehicle as well as motorists sharing the road with them can change the lives of everyone involved in the blink of an eye. Individuals and their families who suffer loss or injury due to an accident caused by a drunk driver may find it helpful to speak with a personal injury attorney.