Car accidents stemming from driving under the influence seriously impact residents of Colorado and elsewhere. This year alone, there have been many arrests, injuries and deaths from DUI-related crashes. This is a rundown of the statistics and trends for DUI in 2022.
Rate of DUI fatalities
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol kills around 28 people each day, which equates to one person every 52 minutes. This means that more than 10,000 people die each year after being involved in crashes related to DUI.
Drivers are considered impaired when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08% or greater. However, depending on various factors, a person could become impaired even if their level is lower. Age, weight, gender and other aspects can lead to impairment even after consuming a single beer. However, on average, most adults are unable to safely drive after consuming two or three alcoholic beverages.
Sadly, children are also victims of drunk driving accidents. According to the NHTSA, over 230 children died in DUI car accidents.
Individuals most at risk
Younger drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 are at the highest risk of death from DUI accidents and account for 27% of such incidents. The next-highest group at risk at 25% are individuals between 25 and 34. According to the NHTSA, males are also more likely to be killed in drunk driving accidents than females. The percentage of drivers arrested for DUI by gender is also 80% for men versus 19% for women.
So far, this year, 35% of all Colorado crash deaths were from DUIs. Out of 632 car accident fatalities, 221 of them were drunk driving-related.
The statistics for DUI accidents this year are sobering. Avoiding alcohol when you’re going to be driving might prevent car crashes and save lives.
