It should be pretty obvious to our readers in Ohio that drunk driving is a problem in America that doesn’t seem to be going away. Despite decades of public awareness campaigns by both public and private entities, there are still thousands of Americans who get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol. So, is it possible to calculate the impact of drunk driving in America?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the impact is devastating. In fact, the NHTSA statistics show that one person dies in a motor vehicle accident related to alcohol consumption every 50 minutes. At that rate, that equals 29 people per day dying in these car accidents.
Even though the rate of drunk driving fatalities has been falling over the past several years, these numbers are shocking. With 29 people dying each day, that amounts to over 10,000 deaths due to drunk driving each year, which would equal about $44 billion in damages.
As much as any driver might practice defensive driving, it isn’t always possible to avoid drunk drivers on the roads of Ohio. These reckless and negligent drivers are out there every day and night, carelessly putting themselves and others at risk. When drunk drivers cause a serious car accident, they will likely face criminal penalties. But, they may also be on the hook for financial compensation in a civil lawsuit as well. Victims in these types of car accidents may need to explore their legal options to see if a personal injury lawsuit might be a possible avenue to recover compensation.