Why National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month is Important
Traffic-related deaths spike between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day
With all the drinking during the holiday season, it’s not a stretch to see why so many people are dying on the roads. Consider this dreadful statistic: Over 45 people are killed each day by an alcohol-impaired driver and those numbers climb at the end of the year. Additionally, in 68 percent of traffic fatalities involving a drunk driver, there was a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.15 or higher with the legal limit being 0.8.
Drugs also contribute to traffic deaths
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has expanded its mission statement to include drug-impaired driving. Mixing alcohol with opioids may increase a driver’s sedation, which can lead to serious consequences on the road. In 2017, researchers at Columbia University reported a seven-fold jump (since 1995) in the number of drivers killed while operating a vehicle under the influence of prescription drugs.
Pedestrian deaths increase
It’s especially true on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays when holiday parties are in full swing and the bars are packed. So the fatality risk goes both ways. It’s more likely that an alcohol or drug-impaired driver will accidentally kill either themselves, their passengers, or a pedestrian — or that an inebriated pedestrian will walk into the path of an innocent driver.
5 FACTS ABOUT DRUNK DRIVING
27 people daily
Is the amount of people who die in a drunk driving accident in the US
South Africa has the highest rate
Around six out of every ten fatalities on South Africa’s roads are drunk-driving related accidents.
The first ever arrest was in 1897
George Smith was the first person ever convicted of drunk driving after he slammed his cab into a building.
The two deadliest holidays
On Average, New Year’s Eve is the day with most DUI arrests, but Fourth of July has the most drunk driving related deaths.
There is no “sobering” element
Neither coffee or showers will make a person sober up, only time does.
For more information here.
