Drunk drivers are a leading cause of accidents resulting in serious injury and death in the United States today. According to the Center for Disease Control or CDC, 1.1 million drivers were arrested in 2014 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Here are some statistics gathered in drunk driving cases that can help reveal just how serious this problem is.
Rhode Island Drunk Driving Accident Victim Lawyer
RI drunk driving car accident
Statistics from the CDC show that certain people have an increased risk of being involved in a drunk driving accident. Those who are between the ages of 21 and 24, were more likely to be impaired while driving. Older people are not as likely to become involved in an alcohol related crash. Drivers with a previous arrest history for drunk driving were also more likely to be involved in fatal crashes while intoxicated. Habitual offenders are 7 times more likely to drink and drive than those who do not have a history of alcohol abuse.
Drunk driving accident
If you or someone you love has been injured at the hands of a drunk driver, contact a Rhode Island personal injury attorney or RI car accident lawyer for advice. An experienced RI injury attorney or Providence auto accident attorney can examine your case and may be able to help get you compensated for your injuries and medical bills. If someone you love has died due to a drunk driver, an East Providence personal injury attorney or Rhode Island wrongful death lawyers may be able to assist you in filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Providence Superior Court.
Effects Of Alcohol On Drivers
Alcohol negatively affects the way drivers in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and across the Country think and react. Some of the most common problems include:
- Delayed Reaction Times
- Slowed Thought Process
- Diminished Reflexes
- Reduced Coordination
- Problems Concentrating
- Loss Of Balance
- Lack Of Muscle Control
Ways To Prevent Alcohol Related Accidents in Rhode Island
In the the most states and in Rhode Island drivers are considered legally intoxicated if they have a blood alcohol level or BAC of .08 percent or higher. For most people, having just three in a short period of time will result in legal intoxication. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent drunk driving accidents. People who want to drink should:
- Have A Designated Driver
- Call A Friend Or Taxi If Impaired
- Keep Intoxicated Friends From Driving
Many states have enacted stricter laws regarding alcohol related offenses. Sobriety checkpoints are on the rise, especially during holidays and weekends to catch drunk drivers before they injure or kill someone. In addition, tougher punishment has been added to sentences for offenders. In most states, this includes alcohol awareness classes, longer jail sentences and issuing ignition interlock devices for habitual offenders.
New years eve
Drunk driving accident RI
Drinking and New Year’s Eve go hand in hand. Unfortunately, some Rhode Island residents make the poor decision to drive while they are too intoxicated to safely and legally operate a motor vehicle. With increased numbers of drivers on the roadway during the holiday, the likelihood of car accidents caused by drunk drivers increases. If you are involved in a New Year’s Eve accident caused by a drunk driver in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, there are legal remedies you may be able to pursue against the drunk driver. Drunk Driving is a serious crime.
What should you do if hit by a drunk driver?
If you are in a Providence car accident and you have even a suspicion that the other driver is intoxicated, there are some important things you can do to protect your interests. First, immediately contact law enforcement. The police will investigate the automobile incident and can determine the intoxication level of the drunk driver. This will help preserve important evidence for a potential claim against the driver and will also get the drunk driver off the roads.
Next, please seek immediate medical treatment. Medical treatment is essential, not only for your well-being, but also to establish the legal elements that you suffered injuries that were caused by the accident. Also, make sure to preserve all evidence. This includes documenting the accident scene, collecting witness’ contact information, keeping detailed records, and not waiting to pursue a claim. Finally, contact an experienced RI car attorney who practices in Rhode Island personal injury law. A Rhode Island personal injury attorney will help you know what to do and can help you pursue damages against the drunk driver.
Drunk Driving in RI
What types of damages can be pursued against the drunk driver? The law allows individuals who are injured by a drunk driver in Providence several different remedies. Victims in these RI truck, van or auto accidents may be entitled to various types of compensation, including payment for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, property damages, future medical expenses, and lost wages. An experienced Providence car attorney will be able to analyze your situation and determine which damages you may be entitled to pursue.
How can a lawyer help after a serious motor vehicle crash caused by drunk driving?
Personal injury claims can be complex and require the victim to prove several legal elements. A negligence attorney in RI will know how to effectively pursue a claim and what is needed to be successful. A RI motor vehicle wreck attorney will be able to comply with the rules and procedures, to make sure your claim is not dismissed on a technicality. A car crash attorney in Warwick or Newport will help hold the drunk driver an make them pay for their irresponsible choices. Do not delay contacting a RI personal injury lawyer if you have been injured by a drunk driver.
Drunk Driving Citations and resources:
“Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes and at a tremendous cost. NHTSA estimates that the annual economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is $40.4 billion. In 2012, speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes, and 10,219 lives were lost in speeding related crashes. Speeding-related fatalities increased by 2 percent from 10,001 in 2011 to 10,219 in 2012 (Table 1).” U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – Traffic Safety Facts (2012)
” In 2012, Victoria recorded a total of 282 deaths on the road, with speed a major factor in many crashes. Driving 5km/h less can lessen the severity of injury and mean the difference between – death or a serious injury or a serious injury and a minor injury.” Transport Accident Commision
All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have now enacted drunk driving laws that set a blood alcohol level at .08 for purposes of determining whether a motor vehicle operator is driving under the influence. Drunk driving results in property damage, injuries and deaths. Over a million people are arrested for drunk driving every year. If you were injured or a family member was killed by a drunk or drugged driver then contact a Rhode Island drunk driving victim’s personal injury attorney.
About one life an hour
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 9,967 people were killed in drunk driving motor vehicle crashes in 2014. That’s one an hour, or about 27 a day with 290,000 being injured.
A leading cause of crashes
Government and law enforcement have focused on stricter punishment, a lower legal blood alcohol limit and national awareness, but drunk driving continues to be a leading cause of motor vehicle crashes in Rhode Island and across the United States. Americans continue to consume more alcohol though. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 300,000 people a day consume alcohol and then get behind the wheel.
Civil lawsuits in Providence Superior Court
When injuries or fatalities are caused by drunk drivers, civil lawsuits often result. Rhode Island law permits victims and their families to receive compensation for the damages that drunk drivers cause. Damages incurred by drunk driving victims include:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disfigurement
- Permanent disability
- Loss of a normal life
It isn’t necessary for victims or their families to wait until a criminal prosecution is over before filing an injury or wrongful death case against a drunk driver. They have the right to file their lawsuit immediately.
“EACH DAY, PEOPLE DRIVE DRUNK MORE THAN 300,000 TIMES, BUT ONLY ABOUT 3200 ARE ARRESTED… ALMOST HALF OF ALL DRIVERS WHO WERE KILLED IN CRASHES AND TESTED POSITIVE FOR DRUGS ALSO HAD ALCOHOL IN THEIR SYSTEM” Mothers against drunk driving( MADD) https://www.madd.org/statistics
A lesser burden of proof
Even if the driver is found not guilty of drunk driving in criminal court, that doesn’t mean that he or she won’t be found guilty in a civil lawsuit for damages. Different proofs are necessary in the criminal case as opposed to the civil case. The burden of proof in the civil case isn’t beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s a preponderance of the evidence, meaning that the injured person’s version of events and damages is more likely true than not true. It’s a far lower burden of proof than beyond a reasonable doubt.
Drivers are mostly responsible for driving drunk. Waiters, bars, taverns, restaurants, waitresses and social hosts can also be liable for drunk driving car and motor vehicle wrecks. They can stop a customer or guest from getting drunk and driving.
Drunk Driving Accident Statistics
In 2013, more than 10,000 individuals lost their lives in alcohol induced driving accidents. These deaths account for almost one third of all traffic related fatalities in the United States. Sadly, in 2013 more than 1100 traffic deaths involved children younger than 15 years old of which more than 120 were riding as a passenger vehicles driven by drunk drivers. (DUI/ DWI/ OUI)
Impairment by alcohol is not determined by the kind about hauling beverage, but instead, by the amount of alcohol consumed over a specific time.
(If you were injured by the negligence of a drunk driver in RI or MA, then contact a Rhode Island personal injury lawyer or a MA automobile accident attorney.)
2013 Nationwide Drunk Driving Statistics
Drunk driving in the United States and in RI and MA has reached epidemic proportions. The most recent accumulated nationwide drunk driving statistics involve data from 2013. Some of the statistics include:
• More than 290,000 American suffered serious injuries after being involved in a drunk driving accident.
• There is at least one drunk driving-associated injury occurring every two minutes around the clock in the United States.
• Nationwide, there are three alcohol-impaired drunk driving fatalities for every 100,000 motorists.
• On average, 28 individuals lose their lives every day in the US from a drunk driver.
• More than 29 million Americans have admitted that at some point in their life they have driven drunk.
• On average, a drunk driver will likely operate their vehicle while intoxicated at least 80 times before being arrested for the first time.
• The average individual can only metabolize a single alcoholic beverage once every hour.
• One out of every three drunk driving arrests involve repeat offenders.
• Drunk driving accidents occur at night at a rate 4.5 times greater than during the day.
• Teenage boys and adult men are more likely to drink and drive compared to teenage girls and adult women.
Teenage Drunk Driving car accident Statistics
Alcoholic use among teenagers kills more than 4700 individuals every year. The number of teenagers who binge drink is estimated to be approximately 13 percent. However, only one percent of all parents believe their teenager binge drinks. It is a known fact that children who begin drinking at an early age have a seven times greater chance of being involved in an alcohol-related accident.
The most alarming teenage drunk driving car accident statistics include:
• Young drivers are most at risk of dying in a drunk driving accident.
• Automobile accidents claim the lives of more teenagers than any other incident, illness or event in the United States every year.
• Teenagers have a four times greater chance of dying or being seriously injured in an automobile accident than older drivers and passengers.
• Any amount of alcohol in the bloodstream can increase the potential of younger individuals being involved in a drunk driving accident compared to older individuals.
• In 2013, more than 33 percent of all motorists with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08 percent or higher involved in an accident with fatalities were between 21 and 24 years old.
• The second largest group of individuals involved in drunk driving accidents in 2013 were between the ages of 25 and 34 followed by the group of individuals aged 35 to 44 years old.
Preventing Drunk Driving car accident in Rhode Island
There are steps that individuals can take to minimize the number of drunk driving accidents that occur every year in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Education is a positive step toward ending drunk driving altogether. The above statistics outline the very real problem of intoxicated driving. Another major step is to ensure that all drinkers in RI and Mass. (MA) use a designated driver or arrange other transportation to avoid getting behind the wheel.