Each day, nearly 30 people die after being involved in a crash with a driver impaired by alcohol. This means that someone dies in this manner every 53 minutes. As a matter of fact, 1.1 million drivers were arrested on the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or some other substance.

The problem can be seen when we examine the number of deaths that were caused by drunken drivers. A total of 9,967 people died in an alcohol-related crash in 2014. This amounts to one-third of all car crashes for the year. A total of 1,070 children died in car crashes, and 19 percent of those were alcohol-related. What is even worse is the fact that approximately half of the children who ranged in age from 0 to 14 years were the passenger of someone who was impaired by alcohol.

Who Is at Risk of Being Involved in a DUI Accident?

Three groups are at a particularly high risk of being involved in a DUI accident. They are the following:

  • Drivers who have been arrested for DUI in the past – These drivers are 17 times more likely to have had a prior arrest for DUI.
  • Motorcyclists – A total of 29 percent of motorcyclists who were driving under the influence had blood alcohol levels of .08 percent or more.
  • Young people – Three out of 10 drivers between the ages of 20 and 25 had a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or higher.

After a Collision

After a collision, you must call the police. Then, you and the other driver should exchange your information, including your names, your insurance information and your license plate numbers. Your conversation should be limited to those three topics. You must not discuss who was at fault at that time.

When you are able to, you will need to call a DUI accident lawyer. Your attorney’s main focus should be personal injury and wrongful death cases. It will be your lawyer’s job to launch a full investigation of the crash. Your lawyer will communicate with the other driver’s insurance company. If you or your family members were hurt in a collision with a drunken driver, contact a DUI accident lawyer today.