Alcohol Kills: National Stats and Facts on Driving Drunk in America, Part III

Almost nothing is more risky than getting behind the wheel while intoxicated – and almost no other action under the influence is so often deadly to those around you. Over the last couple of days, we’ve looked at different aspects of alcohol use and abuse while on the road, and today, we’ll look at the stats surrounding blood alcohol content (BAC) and car accidents that occur when the driver is drunk.

The Statistics

According to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs:

• Deadly car accidents caused by a drunk driver happen four times more often at night than during the day.
• When drivers who caused deadly accidents had a BAC of .08 or higher, they were eight times more likely to have had a prior DUI conviction than were drivers in deadly accidents who had not been drinking.
• Car accidents with male drivers were more likely to be due to alcohol intoxication than were accidents with female drivers.
• In 2007, the average BAC level of a driver convicted of DUI in California was 0.16 percent.
• In 2008, almost 12 percent of all car accident injuries were caused by a driver who was intoxicated.
• Drunk drivers with a BAC of .15 or higher are responsible for more than 50 percent of all alcohol-related deaths.

What You Need to Know

Driving while under the influence can ruin your life. Your freedom, your health, your life, the lives of others – it’s far too much to gamble with. If you have a problem with alcohol abuse or if you have been arrested for DUI in the past, you can make the changes you need to put safety first. You don’t have to be a full blown alcoholic to benefit from treatment. If you can’t stop drinking on your own – even if you binge drink on the weekends or remain abstinent for weeks at a time – you can get the help you need to begin a sober life when you choose rehabilitation.

At The Orchid, we provide woman-centered treatment for addiction and abuse of alcohol and other illicit substances. If you have had a DUI and have been remanded to treatment, we can provide you with the care you need to be in compliance with court orders. If you are trying to avoid standing in front of a judge, we can help you learn the tools to stop drinking today. Call now.