Sunday 13 November 2016

The Prevalence and Signs of Drunk Driving

Drunk driving receives a tremendous amount of attention in America. One person's decision to drink and drive can devastate the lives of many. Be a proactive driver against drunk driving by staying informed on drunk driving and being a vigilant driver on our roadways. According to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA), national efforts to fight drunk driving have brought death tolls down 35% since 1991, an impressive statistic to say the least. However, the latest data available shows that 32,885 people died in car accidents involving drunk drivers in 2010.


Drunk Driving


Drivers who are repeatedly arrested for driving drunk with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of.15 or higher and are resistant to changing their destructive behavior, regardless of tickets, treatment or education, are considered to be hardcore drunk drivers. In 2011, 70% of drunk drivers involved in car crashes had a BAC of.15 or higher. According to the NTHSA, this behavioral trend of hardcore drunk drivers has remained fairly consistent for over a decade. Statistics on hardcore drunk drivers are disturbing. Drivers having a BAC over .15 are 380 times more likely than a sober driver to be involved in a single vehicle fatal auto accident.

The younger population is especially affected by drunk driving, with car accidents consistently remaining the number one cause of death for those ages 15-20 years old. The NHTSA reports that 13.3 million young people between the ages of 15 and 20 were licensed and driving in the United States in 2007 (latest data posted by the NHTSA). Among this group of young drivers, 5,148 drivers were involved in fatal crashes in 2009, of which 2,336 drivers were killed. According to the NHTSA, 33% of these fatal accidents involved a driver who had been drinking and 28% of the youths killed in the accidents had a BAC greater than .08.

Hard core drunk drivers and inexperienced young drivers are two populations especially prone to car accidents related to drunk driving. However, these aren't the only populations susceptible to drunk driving. In 2011, alcohol related fatalities accounted for 31% of total vehicle fatalities in 2011. For every 100,000 people in the United States, 3.2 died from an alcohol related car fatality. However, this number is down from 6.3 per 100,000 in 1991.

According to Preston Rezaee driving safely is a major concern for each of us. Be vigilant when you drive. Look for cars that are tailgating, weaving or zigzagging through traffic. A drunk driver may be driving on portions of the road not designated for driving and may either drive slow, erratically or fast. Look for drivers driving across lines and driving with their headlights off or having a slow response time. If you spot a vehicle you believe is being driven by a drunk driver, stay far away from the car. If possible, make note of the license plate and type of car and pull over to call 911.

Originally Posted: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Prevalence-and-Signs-of-Drunk-Driving&id=8057314

Location: North Las Vegas, NV, USA

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