Colorado residents might be interested to learn about the risks and facts of impaired driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 30 people die each day in a drunk driving crash. In 2012, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 31 percent of all wrecks in the country.
More than 1.4 million drivers were taken into custody for driving impaired in 2010. Moreover, approximately 18 percent of crash-related driver deaths were because the motorist was under the influence of drugs like marijuana or cocaine. In many cases, these drugs were also used when the driver had previously consumed alcohol. Statistics also revealed that a driver with a blood-alcohol content level of more than .08 percent was seven more times more likely to have a prior drunk driving conviction on his or her record.
Young people tend to be in greater risk of being involved in an alcohol related crash. Measures have been suggested in order to decrease the number of deaths and injuries in drunk driving crashes. Some of these measures include actively enforcing all laws target at impaired driving, immediately restricting or taking away the license of an individual convicted of DUI and increasing sobriety checkpoints.
Impaired driving-related crashes could seriously injure victims, and in some situations, they may be unable to regain the same quality of life they led before the wreck. If someone has been injured in such an accident, he or she could seek the help of a personal injury attorney. A claim could be filed against the accused motorist, and the compensation that might be awarded could provide some financial relief for medical bills and lost wages.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts“, December 17, 2014