The month of December is a month that people look forward to all year long. It is a time to spend with your loved ones and friends and reflect on the good times you had throughout the year. Because of this inhibitions tend to drop and people tend to get a little careless, especially when it comes to drinking and driving. According to the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 40% of traffic-related deaths during Christmas and New Year’s involve drunk drivers — a 12% increase over the rest of the month of December and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the nation lost 33,561 people in crashes during 2012, and more than 10,000 people died in alcohol-impaired related crashes, which equals one every 51 minutes.
Even single drink you consume can increase the risk of a car accented and since many people do not realize how much they have consumed throughout the day, especially during a lengthy gathering, people can find themselves in vehicle accidents caused by over intoxication. That’s why December is the perfect time of year to host the “National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month” – not only does it draw attention to how little you need to consume before your ability to drive is impaired, it also highlights how your impulsive decision to drive after drinking can mean the difference between life or death for yourself, your loved ones, and others.
Drunk Driving Statistics:
Stat #1: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), each day almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion per year.
Stat #2: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), drunk driving costs each adult in our Country approximately $500 per year.
Stat #3: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2010 over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, which totals about one percent of the 112 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
Stat #4: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 4 out of 5 people who consume alcohol and drive are men (15.1% men compared to 7.9% women).
Stat #5: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in 2011, 226 children were killed in drug driving crashes; of those 226, 122 were a passenger in the car of an impaired driver.
Stat #6: According to the Century Council, 4 out of 10 parents talk with their teen regularly about the dangers of alcohol.
Stat #7: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, every 2-hours, three people are killed in alcohol-related highway crashes.
Stat #8: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Administration, in 2010 (as reported in April 2012), alcohol was involved in 2,020 pedestrian fatalities, 11,087 of vehicle occupant fatalities, and 209 pedal cyclist fatalities.
Stat #9: According to the Century Council, 70% of all alcohol-impaired driving fatalities involve a driver with a BAC of .15 or greater.
Stat #10: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2010 1 out of 3 drivers with a BAC level of .08% or higher, who were involved in fatal crashes, were between the ages of 21-24 years of age.
Stat #11: According to the Drinkinganddriving.org, 90% of all impaired driving happens after drinking with family, friends, and co-workers.
Stat #12: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of one drink per hour. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits- each of which contain the same amount of alcohol. Impairment is not determined by the type of drink, but rather by the amount of alcohol that has been consumed over time.
Stat #13: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest.
Stat #14: According to the Century Council, approximately 31% of total traffic fatalities involve alcohol-impaired drivers.
Stat #15: According to Life tips, every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related car crash.
Stat #16: According to the Century Council, approximately 3 people under the age of 21 die each day as a result of an alcohol-impaired crash.
Stat #17: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2011 there were 32,367 fatal car accidents. Of these accidents, 11,510 were alcohol related fatalities.
Stat #18: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), each day in the United States, there are approximately 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving.
Stat #19: According to Life tips, drugs other than alcohol are involved in approximately 19% of all motor vehicle deaths.
Take Into Consideration Some Life Saving Tips Before You Drink, Such as:
1. Know your limit and do NOT exceed it
2. Choose a designated driver before you start drinking
3. Drink plenty of water
4. Only consume drinks that you are familiar with
5. Remember how much you have drank
6. STOP drinking if you begin to feel drunk or intoxicated
7. Have a pre-designated location to take a break from drinking
8. Take along a friend who does not drink
9. Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach
Resources:
Vital Signs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Injury Prevention & Control: Motor Vehicle Safety
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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