A recent study has shown that in the first half of 2021, estimated traffic fatalities were at the highest they have been in 15 years.[1]
This is not the only disturbing trend – in Pennsylvania alone, drunk driving deaths totaled a staggering 3,697.[2]
Drunk driving poses a serious threat to both the person driving impaired and others on the road. The repercussions of a DUI – or worse, a drunk driving death – can be felt far beyond the individual.
Just how dangerous – and prevalent — is drunk driving today?[3]
- About one-third of car crash fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers, according to the NHTSA.
- The yearly cost of alcohol-related car crashes is more than $44 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Almost twice as many alcohol-related and fatal car crashes occur during the weekend, according to NHTSA.
- In 2019, the most recent FARS data available, 10,142 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes
- recent NHTSA studies show an increase in the presence of other drugs in drivers who are tested.
Alcohol abuse can significantly increase a person’s risk for drunk driving, partially because alcohol can cloud your decision making and make you think you’re okay to drive. As a person begins to tolerate higher levels of alcohol, the effects of their impairment may get worse and worse.
If you believe you may be at risk for drunk driving or are in search of DUI Recovery services, Livengrin can help. Visit livengrin.org or call 215-638-5200.
[1] https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/usdot-releases-new-data-showing-road-fatalities-spiked-first-half-2021
[2] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/drunk-driving-statistics/
[3] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/drunk-driving-statistics/
