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Accident Injury Lawyers Warn of the Dangers of Drinking and Driving

Posted on October 19, 2021 in Personal Injury

Accident injury lawyers realize that we’ve all heard the warnings about how drinking alcohol can impact our judgment and reaction time when behind the wheel of a vehicle. Yet, some people continue to drink and drive. This not only puts themselves at risk but others on the roadways as well.

Learn about the dangers of drinking and driving, and what legal action you can take if you’re injured by a drunk driver.

How Big Is the Problem?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2016, 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. This accounted for 28 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.

Drunk drivers also put children at risk. The CDC states that of the 1,233 traffic deaths among children 0 to 14 years old in 2016, 17 percent were due to a drunk driver.

In addition, more than 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.

Who’s At Risk

When it comes to drinking and driving, certain groups are more at-risk than others. According to the CDC, young drivers, motorcyclists, and drivers with DUI convictions were more likely to drive while under the influence of alcohol.

  • Among the drivers involved in fatal accidents with blood alcohol levels (BACs) of 0.08 percent or higher, 27 percent were between the ages of 25 and 34 years old, 26 percent were between 21 and 24, and 22 percent were between 35 and 44.
  • Of all the motorcyclists killed in crashes in 2016, 25 percent had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher.
  • According to the CDC, drivers with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher involved in fatal crashes were 4.5 times more likely to have a prior conviction for DWI than drivers with no alcohol in their system.

Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration

While any amount of alcohol in your system can cause impairment, the more alcohol you consume, the more it can diminish your driving abilities.

Take a look at some effects you can experience for the various blood alcohol levels, according to the CDC:

  • 0.02% (about 2 drinks): Decline in visual functions and decline in the ability to perform two tasks at the same time.
  •  0.04% (about 3 drinks): Reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering, and reduced response to emergency driving situations.
  • 0.08% (about 4 drinks): Loss of concentration, short-term memory loss, trouble controlling your speed, reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search), impaired perception.
  • 0.15% (about 7 drinks): Substantial impairment in vehicle control, and ability to pay attention to driving tasks.

Legal Action You Can Take with Accident Injury Lawyers

When an accident is caused by a drunk driver, the impaired driver can face criminal charges, which can include hefty fines and jail time. However, if you or a loved one are injured in an accident involving a drunk driver, you can also pursue a civil suit against the driver. Contact the accident injury lawyers at Gallagher & Kennedy to learn how we can represent you and help you get the compensation you’re owed.

Let Us Help You

If you were injured by a drunk driver, contact the attorneys at Gallagher & Kennedy at 602-530-8400. We care about our clients and are committed to using our skills, work ethic and resources to help you or your family obtain compensation and justice.

At Gallagher & Kennedy, we have the resources to take on some of the biggest cases in the country. Yet we also provide the personal touch of a small, boutique-style law firm. We can obtain top results for our clients through aggressive and personalized legal strategies. Contact us today to request a free case evaluation with one of our Phoenix accident injury lawyers.