Everybody is aware of the dangers and consequences
of drinking and driving, yet the number of fatal accidents where alcohol is a
factor remains high. A
new study conducted found that last year, there were 7,852 fatal accidents
involving drinking and driving. In other
words, there were about 22 deadly DUI-related accidents every day. Some of the worst states included Montana,
North Dakota, South Dakota, and South Carolina.
Virginia is one of the best states in terms of having the least number
of fatal DUI crashes per 100,000 residents. Washington, D.C. has the lowest number of
fatal DUI crashes per 100,000 residents out of all fifty states.
The
most interesting statistics that this study revealed involve the time of day
when DUI-related fatal accidents occurred.
As expected, the time period of 2-3am, when most bars close for the
night, had the highest number of fatal alcohol-related accidents. The research also showed that there were
spikes in fatal crashes around 7pm, when many happy hours end, and 3pm, which
shows that lunchtime drinking is gaining popularity.
It
is still quite amazing, that as much information is out there for people to
know and understand the catastrophic consequences of drinking and driving, that
so many people choose to take that risk.
In addition, today there are so many options available to people to get
to their destination without having to drive themselves. Any amount of alcohol in your body can affect
your judgment and reaction time. When
you factor in drinking several alcoholic beverages or shots in a short period
of time without eating a substantial amount of food, your blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) levels will increase dramatically. For example, at 0.08 the legal limit in Virginia,
there is impaired speech, vision, hearing, and reaction time. The effects get progressively worse as your
BAC levels increase. Anything over 0.23
will likely result in a blackout, alcohol poisoning, and a chance of
respiratory failure. While drinking is
an easy way to have fun, just remember to be safe about it, and NEVER choose to
drive drunk.
If you or a family member has been charged with DUI or DWI in
Virginia and/or were involved in a deadly accident as a result, please feel
free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 and schedule an appointment for a
free legal consultation at our office in Vienna
or throughout Virginia, or visit us on the web at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Criminal-Defense/DWI-DUI/
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