DRUNK DRIVING IN AMERICA

Here are some alcohol related facts to take into consideration the next time you are out drinking.

• Alcohol-impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime in the U.S.
(NHTSA, 2003)

• On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes.(NHSTA 2008)

• In 2007, nearly 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving related crashes (NHTSA,
2008)

• Each year, approximately half a million people are injured in crashes where police
reported that alcohol was present—an average of one person injured approximately every
minute. (Blincoe, Seay et al., 2002)

• An estimated three of every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic
crash at some time in their lives. (NHTSA, 2001)

• Research shows that alcohol-related crashes cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion
annually—this includes an estimated $63.2 billion lost in quality of life due to these
crashes. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• The societal costs of alcohol-related crashes average $1.00 per drink consumed. People
other than the drinking driver paid $0.60 per drink. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• Approximately 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence
of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the
United States. (NHTSA, 2008)

I'm sure at one point someone we know or even ourselves has been effected by alcohol one way or another. If you or someone needs help there are many places to go to find help such as AA meetings or even rehab centers. There are people out there willing to take the time to save your life and they do care. Know that you have options.