Drunk Driving Facts & Stats Tips
Read these 18 Drunk Driving Facts & Stats Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about DUI tips and hundreds of other topics.
Useful Drunk Driving Facts
Drunk driving facts can be a useful tool for any parent or teacher who wants to alert young people to the dangers of drinking and driving. Here are some helpful drunk driving facts that may help scare them straight:
• One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving
• Each year approximately 16,000 are killed in alcohol related crashes
• Alcohol is a factor in almost half of all traffic fatalities
• Every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash
*For more drunk driving facts to help you teach the right lessons, check our other articles and categories.
More Little Known Drunk Driving Facts
Think you are safe from DUI? Think again. Drunk driving facts show that anyone, at any time can be a victim. Here are some little-known drunk driving facts that show you what I mean:
• Over 40% of fatal automobile accidents are alcohol-related
• Approximately 30% of Americans will be in an accident involving alcohol
• According to estimates, someone is injured in an alcohol-related accident every two minutes
• Accidents involving alcohol are more likely to occur at night… about five times more likely
• About two-thirds of DUI convictions are for first time offenders
• More than one-third of all fatal traffic accidents involve at least one person with a BAC over 0.08%
Do you still think you can dodge the drunk driving bullet? Drunk driving facts do not lie. Do what you can to avoid becoming a statistic.
A Little Known Drunk Driving Fact
Many people believe that New Year's Eve is the night when the most drunken driving accidents occur but they are wrong; New Year's Eve runs a distant second to the holiday that statistically has the largest number of drunk driving fatalities—Thanksgiving.
Many people know that Thanksgiving is a time with family, and people often feel the need to drink more around family and have a good time. However, this drunk driving fact is no laughing matter. At your next Thanksgiving dinner, give thanks for the health of those you are with and make sure that they get home safely.
Risks of Drinking and Driving
So, you had a few too many and are thinking of picking up your keys to run to the store or drive yourself home. Think twice before drinking and driving. The minute you put those keys into the ignition, you are putting yourself at risk as well as any others that may cross your path. If you are not concerned with how drinking and driving can affect you, think of how it can affect your bank account.
*One thing is for sure, when you get arrested for drinking and driving, you will need to hire a DUI lawyer to help you. This can get expensive, but it can either cost you your money or your freedom. Next time you are going to pick up those keys, think twice, and ask a friend for a lift.
Preventing Drunk Drivers - Do Your Part
We have all been there. You're at a bar, a party, or even a friends house when someone has had one too many and doesn't think twice about hitting the road. Drunk drivers are a risk to themselves, others, and even you. Do not just watch next time.
*The only way to prevent drunk drivers from getting on the road is to stop them in their tracks. If your friend looks like a potential drunk driver next time you are out together, stop them before they go too far. They will thank you for it, guaranteed.
A Recent Drunk Driving Article Sheds Some Light
Few people dispute that alcohol can impair one's vision. What is lesser known, however, is that new evidence proves that drinking reduces a person's depth perception.
*Depth perception when driving is essential and, without it, it is understandable why drinking and driving results in such awful circumstances. Be aware of any visual impairment before getting in your vehicle after drinking. And, more importantly, know your legal limit.
Spotting a Drunk Driver on the Road
Many instances of drunk driving accidents could have been prevented by someone interfering. Today, with cell phones in almost every driver's pocket, reports of drunk drivers have gone up. These reports have saved an incalculable amount of lives by stopping a drunk driver before it was too late.
If you see what you suspect is a drunk driver and you have a phone available to you, do the right thing:
• Dial the local highway patrol or police department
• Get the license plate number of the car
• Let the authorities know that you suspect a drunk driver
• Give your location
It is worth those few minutes of your time to save that drunk driver from hurting themselves and/or others.
Drunk Driving - Who Suffers?
Drunk driving can lead to other crimes. Too often, drunk driving inevitably leads to crimes like vehicular manslaughter. For those arrested for drunk driving in and of itself, many would say that it is a fairly 'victimless crime'. However, these same people are not realizing that, to some extent, the driver is a victim. Even if no one is hurt and no property damaged, drunk driving can cause the driver to lose more than they bargained for when they pick up their keys.
*If you are arrested for drunk driving, remember to find yourself a good DUI attorney and, next time, remember that you can prevent yourself from being the victim in the future.
Drinking and Driving Facts that May Save Your Life
Drinking and driving is the kind of phenomenon that provides clues on how to avoid it through those that weren't so lucky. In addition to drinking and driving facts, there are many drinking and driving myths that people should not believe. Here are some common facts and myths that we can help clear up to help you be safer on the roads:
FACT: You are more likely to be in a drinking and driving accident during the holidays. Drinking and driving accidents occur with more frequency during holidays due to ‘acceptable' drinking at parties and family functions. If at all possible, avoid the roads during major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the 4th of July.
MYTH: Coffee will help an impaired driver get home safely. Nothing could be further from the truth. While coffee can keep you awake from the caffeine, it in no way restores vision and other senses affected by alcohol.
FACT: Teenage drivers are at a higher risk to be involved in a drinking and driving accident. If you have teenage drivers, do whatever you can to ensure that they observe safe driving practices when they are on the road.
MYTH: Bigger people can drink more before driving because it won't have the same affect on them. Wrong again. While having food in your system will absorb more alcohol, just being big will not have the same effect. An overweight person who has not eaten recently will get just as drunk as anyone else when they have a few drinks.
Pay close attention to the myths and truths when learning about drinking and driving. In between are the drinking and driving facts that everyone should know.
Drunk Driving Statistics for Younger Drivers
Young legal drinkers, ages 21 to 34, are responsible for more alcohol-related fatal crashes than any other age group. The existing data confirms that drivers in this age group comprises more than half of all the impaired drivers involved in alcohol related fatal crashes. Another drunk driving statistic shows that this age group has the highest average blood alcohol concentration in fatal crashes. An even more stunning drunk driving statistic for younger drivers is that in spite of all of these statistics, this age group is the least likely to change their drinking and driving habits.
*Drivers from age 21 to 34 must collectively act wiser when it comes to drinking and driving or these drunk driving statistics will only get worse over time.
Cold, Hard Drunk Driving Facts
Most people think that if they have only had a few then they will be okay to get behind the wheel. The fact is, however, that a few usually turns into a few more and then a few more. Studies have recently proven that it is a drunk driving fact that your risks of accident increase with each drink you take.
A person's chances of being involved in a drunk driving accident increase dramatically after every two beers they drink. At the point when you have reached a six pack, your chances of being in a drunk driving accident are up to 44%. With this and other drunk driving facts in mind, think before the you pick up the keys.
Little Known Drinking and Driving Facts
A little known drinking and driving fact is that Alaska actually has the highest rate of fatal drinking and driving accidents. Theories for why this drinking and driving fact exists range from the extended cold season making people more prone to drinking, to the more realistic, consistent icy roads.
*Drive carefully should you ever be in Alaska. This drinking and driving fact could save your life.
Motorcycles & Drunk Driving - Statistics Don't Lie
Do you prefer two-wheels or four when you are on the road? If you are the motorcycle or scooter type, you should think twice and then a third time before getting on the road after having a few too many.
Did you know that between 1980 and the present, drunk driving fatalities on motorcycles are over 10% more likely than those in cars? These drunk driving statistics are proportional, so they do take into account that many more people drive cars. Motorcyclists are harder for others on the road to see and, with most drunk driving statistics suggesting that fatal accidents are more likely to occur at night, the darkness adds yet another dangerous factor to the situation.
Drunk driving statistics don't lie. If you like to ride your mean machine on the open road—do it sober. Don't become a drunk driving statistic yourself.
Avoid a Drunk Driving Arrest - Use a Designated Driver
Most drunk driving arrests happen because people simply were not thinking ahead. Many go out after work with some friends and toss a few back without thinking of how they will make it home afterwards. You can easily avoid a drunk driving arrest.
Next time you are going to have a few drinks, take an inventory of who you will be with. Among those people, there is bound to be someone who cannot drink that day for one reason or another. Don't be ashamed to ask straight-out for them to be your designated driver. If they are a friend, they won't mind at all and you will have taken out the possibility of a drunk driving arrest.
Drunk Driving - How to Know You've Had One Too Many
Few disagree with the fact that alcohol affects different people in very different ways. A person's size, weight, and other characteristics can alter their relative tolerance to drinking. When it comes to drunk driving, however, the law has its own standard.
The law does not take into account that you weigh more than average or that you have a higher tolerance to tequila than most. If you blow beyond legal limits, you will be placed under arrest. Instead of drunk driving, be aware of your limits.
*There are many local law enforcement agencies that hold classes where they can test your blood alcohol in different situations. Stay aware of how much you have had and don't be caught drunk driving when it could have been easily avoided.
Finding Drinking and Driving Statistics
If the penalties for drinking and driving are not enough to make you or someone you know stop before starting the car, maybe some statistics would help. You can find drinking and driving statistics from many federal, state, and local government offices, as well as independent groups such as MADD. You can also use the internet to easily learn where to access this information. The results will be staggering.
Drinking and driving leads to more deaths and other accidents than most people are truly aware of. If you are trying to convince someone (or even yourself) that drinking and driving is truly a risk, use the public resources to get all the information you need.
Finding Resourceful Drunk Driving Articles
If you are interested in learning more about drunk driving, there are many places where you can find very resourceful drunk driving articles:
• You can also search local newspaper archives (all major newspapers keep archives that are well categorized by topic)
• Start with the Internet, try a simple search on Google, Yahoo, or any other major search engine
• Many law journals exist that also contain historical articles about drunk driving and the law
• Try your local library
Thinking of Drinking and Driving - Statistics Are Not in Your Favor
Sure, you've had a few drinks, but you'll just drive home slowly and safely and you won't get pulled over for DUI or get in an accident, right? WRONG! Drinking and driving statistics clearly show that neither your speed nor the degree of your “safe” driving can keep you from getting a DUI.
The majority of DUI offenses do not originate from a speeding stop. Most DUI charges are the result of inconsistent driving observed by an officer. I guarantee that these people thought they were driving “safely” as well. Swerving on the road, into the shoulder, or other impaired driving is the leading cause of resulting DUI charges, according to drinking and driving statistics.
No matter how much you think you can handle and still drive, remember that if you are relying on your speedometer to keep you from getting a DUI, statistics are not in your favor.
