Drunk Driving Statistics You Need to Know

So you have heard the stories in the news about the awful crashes involving drunk drivers, yet you still continue to drink and drive. Why? Because that would never happen to you. You only drive if you feel like you can handle it, right? Or maybe you don’t have very far to go, so it should be okay. Well, maybe these statistics will change your mind (all statistics gathered from MADD.org):

“An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest.” See, you’re not the only one that thinks you can make it home safely. How many times have you driven drunk before? It will be your turn someday, and hopefully you live to talk about it.

“Almost every 90 seconds, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash.” That is a lot of people being unnecessarily injured. Drunk driving is a preventable crime.

“Every day in America, another 27 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes.” Once again, these deaths could have easily been prevented. Do you want someone’s death on your conscience?

“One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.” Look around you. It’s either you or them.

“Drunk driving costs the United States $132 billion a year.” Not only will drunk driving cost you a pretty penny (The average cost to you personally is about $10,000. Check out this article from DefensiveDriving.com on the topic), but it will also contribute to America’s mounting debt.

“Adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010 – that is almost 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving each day.” That is 112 million adults too many. Call a taxi or use a designated driver.

“In 2010, 211 children were killed in drunk driving crashes. Out of those 211 deaths, 131 (62 percent) were riding with the drunk driver.” Do you have kids? I bet you would be pretty angry if your child was killed by a drunk driver. Could you live with yourself if you were the drunk driver that killed someone else’s kid?

Drunk driving is not something to be taken lightly. It takes lives every day that could and should have been prevented. Don’t become a statistic.