Drunk Drivers / DUI

Don’t Drink & Drive!

Drunk drivers threaten the safety of our streets, highways and interstates every day. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) estimates that 513,000 people are injured in alcohol-related crashes each year. That’s 59 people per hour or one person every minute (1).

The deadly facts about drinking and driving:

• About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.

• In 2003, there were 17,013 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes (2).

• Of the 17,013 people killed, 14,630 (86%) were killed in crashes where at least one of the drivers or nonoccupants had a BAC (blood-alcohol concentration) of .08 g/dl or higher.

• Alcohol-related deaths constituted approximately 40 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities.

• Every 31 minutes, someone dies in an alcohol-related crash.

• Every minute someone is injured in an alcohol-related crash.

• In 2003, 21% of children 0 to 14 years old who were killed in motor vehicle accidents were killed in alcohol-related crashes.

How dangerous is drinking and driving?
The more you drink, the more likely you are to have a fatal accident. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than a driver who has not consumed an alcoholic beverage. A driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about 25 times more likely. In most states, the legal BAC has been lowered to 0.08 in order to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents.

What is the definition of DWI?
DWI, or Driving While Intoxicated, means operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs with a concentration level in the blood that is considered unsafe to drive a vehicle. In some states, it’s called DUI, or Driving Under the Influence.

Has increasing the minimum drinking age helped reduce alcohol-related crashes?
All states now have a 21-year-old minimum drinking age law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( www.nhtsa.dot.gov) estimates that these laws have reduced traffic fatalities involving drivers 18 to 20 years old by 13 percent and have saved an estimated 20,043 lives since 1975.

How can I help reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic accidents?
Progress has being made over the past 20 years, but in spite of all the warnings, including public awareness and education programs, stiffer penalties for violations and efforts by law enforcement agencies to protect the highways, people will still make the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. The most important thing that you can do to help is to never drive if you have been drinking. Call a cab or give your keys to a designated driver.

Who is usually responsible for drinking and driving?
The age group of 21-24 had the highest percentage of drivers with BAC levels of 0.08 g / dl or greater in 2003 (32%) followed closely by 25-34 year olds (27%). Safety belts were only worn by 25% of fatally injured drivers.

Tell me more about MADD.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization whose mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. For more information on how you can get involved, visit their website at www.madd.org.

Why should I hire a lawyer?
There are no excuses for drinking and driving. People make a choice when they drink too much alcohol and get behind the wheel. They choose convenience over safety. They choose selfishness over responsibility. They choose to break the law. Thus, if people choose to drink and drive, it’s no accident. It’s time to take a stand and let drunk drivers know we will not accept their reckless judgment. Call Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin, Illinois and Indiana drunk driving accident lawyers today.

Drunk driving is wrong and against the law, and yet every day innocent people get hurt by the carelessness of drunk drivers. Our message and our promise is simple: We sue drunk drivers! Together, we will make them pay.

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Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin Injury Lawyers handles cases in an extraordinary range of practice areas, including Auto Accident, Birth Injury, Boat Accident, Brain Injury, Drug Injuries, Defective Products, Dog Bite, Drunk Driving Accident, Medical Malpractice, Motorcycle Accident, Nursing Home Abuse, Premises Liability/Slip & Fall, Social Security Disability, Spinal Cord Injury, Truck Accident, Wrongful Death and more.

Have you been injured?  Contact the Indiana, Illinois or Ohio injury lawyers at Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin.  Our office is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, but we have successfully advocated for clients throughout the area, including Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati in Ohio; Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and South Bend in Indiana; and Chicago, Decatur, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign in Illinois. Complete a Free Online Consultation Form or call us toll free at 1-800-618-4878 to contact us today.

Sources:

1) Mothers Against Drunk Driving (www.madd.org), 2003

2) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.gov)