Kansas City Townsend Law Firm

NHTSA’s drunk driving data is discouraging

On Behalf of | Dec 13, 2017 | Car Accident

Car accidents happen all the time, but one of the most infuriating things about them is just how many of these accidents happen due to negligence or recklessness. So many behaviours fall into this category. Drivers could be distracted by a phone call or a text. Drivers could be lost in thought or changing the radio station. Drivers could be operating their vehicle at an unsafe speed or swerving in and out of lanes.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which behaviour is the most appalling because they are all incredibly dangerous and upsetting. But if there is one that will always be near the top of the list, it is certainly drunk driving.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 10,497 fatalities in car accidents that involved drunk drivers in 2016. That breaks down to about 29 deaths per day due to drunk driving. And the amount of damage done by these accidents, and the cost of these deaths, total roughly $44 billion.

It should be so simple and easy for people to just avoid driving after they have consumed alcohol. But clearly, that isn’t true. Far too many people decide “I’m not that drunk” and they get behind the wheel of a car, only to later get into a devastating and life-changing )or life-ending) wreck.

These drivers must be held accountable in a court of law, and the victims of these wrecks should seek compensation and damages from the negligent driver.

Source: NHTSA, “Drunk Driving,” Accessed Dec. 11, 2017