When we’re on the road, we’re at the mercy of how attentive, and aware the drivers around us are. That makes the latest figures surrounding drunk driving all the more terrifying, as it has been revealed that there’s around a 25% increase in DUI crashes.
If you’re concerned about being able to continue driving safely, then you should know some of these drunk driving statistics. Read on to find out more.
How Many Drunk Driving Cases Are Fatal?
Looking at one statistic from 2019, the fatality rate in drunk driving cases ranges from 11% at the lowest end to almost 40% at the highest. Even more interestingly, of the 61,000 fatal crashes, 20% of those were DUI.
One saving grace here is that fatalities are down since previous historic highs. In 1985, for example, almost half of all traffic fatalities were due to drunk drivers.
The sad part of this statistic is that most deaths due to drunk driving are among young adults in the 21-24 bracket. That means many drunken drivers could be youths in their first car.
Which State Has the Most Drunk Drivers?
Independent research has created a scoring system to grade the danger of drunk driving in each state. In this system, a grading system of 1-100 judges the severity of the issue, with 100 being the worst. We’ve got some bad news if you like in Montana, who scored by far the highest out of all the states.
Montana received a score of 84.1, far ahead of the second-place which was South Dakota, at 80.4
You’ve got almost nothing to worry about if you’re living in Delaware, as that state scored a 27.9.
Statistics around Drunk Driving Settlements
If you’re the victim in one of these statistics we’ve mentioned, you should turn your thoughts towards a court settlement. While the stats surrounding careless driving are worrying, the averages in payment at least make up for a little.
You can expect to see somewhere around $125,000 in a court settlement. This number will vary from case to case, but there is at least some compensation for your trouble. If you’re interested in help regarding this, you can click for more information.
Does the Vehicle Matter?
There are no statistics regarding the types of cars involved in drunk driving accidents, but there is one interesting fact. Almost 30% of motorcyclists involved in a drunk driving accident were killed. This is compared to 20% of car drivers and 19% of small truck drivers.
You might think that with how much more dangerous a motorcycle is than a car, the fatality statistics would be far worse, but they are worryingly similar in how risky they are.
Don’t Become a Part of Drunk Driving Statistics
Unfortunately, the causes of so many traffic accidents are thanks to factors out of your command. You don’t have control over what everyone else does on the road, but you can at least keep yourself as safe as possible by adhering to road safety laws and avoiding reckless driving.
We’ve got the perfect mixture of articles that can help keep you safe from these drunk driving statistics, from the law to everything car-related, so consider bookmarking us and reading more!