“Don’t be a statistic,” is good advice in almost every situation, but especially when associated with driving. Here are some of the craziest accident statistics that sadly, could’ve been easily avoided.
Drunk Driving Statistics
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (or MADD as they’re better known) has amassed an impressive but heartbreaking collection of statistics about drunk driving that you really ought to keep in mind before getting behind the wheel with alcohol in your system:
- Each day in the United States, people drive drunk ~300,000 times, but only about 4,000 get arrested. That’s a huge discrepancy of people.
- Drunk driving isn’t usually an isolated incident. Almost one-third of all arrested or convicted drunk drivers are repeat offenders.
- As of 2011, 15% of drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were drunk. 31% of drivers involved in fatal crashes during the weekend were drunk.
- Drunk Driving costs our country $199 billion each year.
- Two out of every three people (on average) will be involved in a drunk driving incident in their lifetime.
So many of these statistics could be easily avoided with proper care and judgement. It’s not illegal to have a drink and get behind the wheel when you’re 21 years of age or more, but don’t use that as an excuse to take things to an excess. There are so many options for you and your car if you find yourself in a situation you didn’t plan for. There are cabs, on-demand rides, designated drivers, and even people who will drive your car home for you! The key is to do your research ahead of time so that you’re not put in a bad situation later.
Texting & Driving Statistics
Don’t Text & Drive is a campaign that aims to educate drivers on the dangers of texting while driving. You may roll your eyes because you’re “The Best Texter and Driver,” but nobody is immune to these harsh statistics:
- Cell phones are involved in 1.6 million car crashes each year. These crashes cause ~500,000 injuries and take 6,000 lives
- Texting while driving is 6 times more likely to cause a car crash than drunk driving
- Up to 80% of all crashes involve a form of driver distraction
Clearly, the problem here is the fact that texting or using a phone in general causes you to be distracted. No matter how safe you think your surroundings are, it makes it so you have less time to react if something bad happens. That’s why they call it a car “accident” – it wasn’t meant to happen, but is usually the result of bad decisions or bad road circumstances. You could be the best driver in the world, but it’s everyone else you have to worry about.
Sleepy Driving Statistics
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares some scary statistics that relate to drivers that are sleepy behind the wheel:
- 1 in 25 drivers (aged 18 years or older) have reported falling asleep while driving in the past month
- Drowsy driving is responsible for an estimated 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries and 800 deaths in 2013. The CDC has reason to believe these numbers may be underestimated and the number of deaths caused by sleepy drivers is actually closer to 6,000.
If you’re too tired to operate a heavy chunk of metal, you’re probably better off finding someone to drive you, another means of transportation (like public buses or trains), or just rescheduling plans. Don’t put yourself and innocents on the road in danger by trying to fight extreme fatigue and tiredness.
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again. Don’t be a statistic! You don’t want that.
An easy way to prevent accidents is to practice defensive driving – every time you drive. A few best practices to keep in mind:
- Obey the laws. Just this simple principle could have saved a lot of the people involved in the aforementioned statistics.
- Expect the unexpected. Don’t let yourself be distracted and plan for the worst – not everyone will have the same attitude you do about driving safely.
- Be safe. Wear a seatbelt. Drive slow when the weather is bad. Use your best judgement.
If something bad happens, make sure to give Attorney Big Al a call at 1-800-HURT-123. Consultations are free and additional information can be found online at hurt123.com.
Feel free to reach out to us for reliable and knowledgeable guidance. Contact Barzakay Law Firm.