According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly one-third of motor vehicle crashes are caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Furthermore, it is estimated that one person is killed every 50 minutes in a drunk driving crash in New York or elsewhere in America. NHTSA data indicates that men are statistically more likely to cause a drunk driving crash compared to women.
Roughly a quarter of drunk driving accidents are caused by those who are under the age of 21. This is in spite of the fact that it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol whether they are planning on driving or not. Government data indicates that those between the ages of 21 and 24 are the most likely to drive while under the influence of alcohol. A person is considered legally drunk if he or she has a blood alcohol content higher than .08.
Of those who caused fatal drunk driving crashes in the time period studied, 9% had previous convictions for drunk driving. Among children 14 and younger who were killed in drunk driving accidents, 55% died in accidents caused by their own parents. The financial costs of drunk driving can be staggering as well. In 2010, impaired drivers cost the United States $44 billion.
Individuals who are harmed because of another person’s negligence might be entitled to a financial award. This may help to pay medical bills, make up for lost wages or compensate for lost future earnings. An attorney may use photo or video evidence from a crash scene in an effort to help a victim show that negligence played a role in causing his or her injuries. Generally speaking, drunk driving breaches the duty of care a driver has to others.