While public traffic safety agencies like the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have shifted much of their focus to distracted driving, alcohol impaired drivers remain the leading cause of fatal traffic accidents in Missouri and throughout the U.S. While there have been significant strides taken in fighting the drunk driving epidemic, motorists who are impaired by intoxicating substances like drugs or alcohol continue to claim the lives of 10,000 people per year. Stricter penalties for DUI, more effective law enforcement techniques, teen “zero tolerance” laws and public education campaigns have reduced the number of car crashes caused by alcohol impaired drivers.
Nonetheless, drivers operated a motor vehicle after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol 112 million times in a recent one-year period according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on this data, motorists in the U.S. are placed at risk by over 300,000 drunk drivers daily. Because drunk driving touches the lives of so many accident victims and their families, we have provided some answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about accidents and accident claims involving drunk drivers in this two-part blog series.
Is the risk really that high that someone I love will be injured or die in a drunk driving accident?
Unfortunately, all you need to do to understand the severity of the problem is look at the neighbor on either side of you. Statistically, you or one of those neighbors has had someone they love injured or prematurely killed by an alcohol-impaired driver. While this claim may seem incredible, the NHTSA reports that based on DUI accident statistics one in three people will be involved in a drunk driving accident at some time during their life. The practice of driving under the influence of alcohol is so extensive that if drunk drivers had their own state it would be the fifth most populous state in the U.S. with over 17 million people according to the NHTSA.
What actions have lawmakers taken to reduce the number of collisions caused by intoxicated drivers?
The penalties for driving while impaired by alcohol have increased, which includes the imposition of mandatory minimum jail terms and installation of ignition interlock device systems (IID) in many states. Because the number of drunk driving accidents caused by teen drivers has historically been disproportionately high, many states including Missouri have passed aggressive laws designed to discourage teen DUI accidents. While the standard for presuming a driver is impaired is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent for adults in Missouri, a teen driver is considered under the influence with a BAC of a mere .02 percent. This means essentially that a driver under age 21 may be convicted of drunk driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in his or her system.
If you or someone you love is injured or a family member dies in a Missouri intoxicated driving car accident, we urge you to contact us if you have questions. Our experienced motor vehicle accident injury attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, LLP work diligently to obtain financial compensation for our clients’ injuries so contact us toll free at (877) 535-1163 to see how we can help!