Drunk drivers kill 28 people in the United States every day

The majority of motorists across Louisiana and the rest of the nation abstain from driving under the influence of alcohol. However, drunk driving remains a serious problem on roadways across the United States. Alcohol has a substantial effect on judgment and driving ability. Drivers who choose to drink and drive cause thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries every year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk drivers caused 10,142 deaths in 2019. This amounted to an average of 28 drunk driving deaths a day. While this is the lowest number of drunk driving-related deaths seen nationwide since 1982, the fact that all of these deaths were avoidable suggests these numbers are far too high.

How drinking impacts driving

How much alcohol a motorist consumes has a direct effect on his or her ability to drive. Alcohol impacts everything from muscle coordination and reaction time to memory, reasoning and self-control. However, a driver’s size and weight, among other factors, also play a role in how much alcohol impacts driving ability.

How drunk drivers impact others

Drunk driving affects more than the drunk driver. In 2019, about 20% of children who died in traffic crashes died in incidents involving drunk drivers. In more than half of those cases, the individual driving drunk was driving the car with the child inside it. Many drunk drivers are also repeat offenders. Drunk drivers who cause fatal crashes are more likely to have prior drunk driving convictions than those who cause fatal crashes without any alcohol in their systems.

Those who drink and drive unnecessarily endanger everyone they come across. Individuals who drink, drive and cause wrecks may be accountable for their negligence.