Five years ago I faced the loss of a friend from college who was killed in a car crash; the other vehicle’s driver had consumed too much alcohol to drink, crossed the road on a rainy night and took the life of someone who was loved by many.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the CDC have statistics about drunk driving that always shock me no matter how many times I read them.
Everyday 28 people are killed by drunk driving. That number seems to be too high considering drinking is something we choose to do, and this can easily be prevented.
1 out of every 3 people in the US will have an impact on their life resulting from drunk driving
Every 2 minutes someone is injured in a crash brought on by drunk driving.
Daily there are about 3,200 arrests made from people driving drunk. However it is estimated that about 300,000 people drive drunk daily.
Statistics show that approximately 40% of high school sophomores (10th graders) consume alcohol. These are 16 year olds drinking. While the legal drinking age is clearly 21. Who is buying this for our youth? Do better and don’t. It doesn’t matter if you feel like they are safe at the house. Don’t. It’s illegal.
Over 1.1 million drivers were arrested in the year 2014 for a DUI.
Between the ages of 26-29 has the highest drunk driving rate.
It takes about one hour to metabolize an alcoholic drink. My motto has always been buzzed driving is drunk driving.
Since MADD was founded in 1980, deaths occurring from drunk drivers have been cut in half.
Annually drunk driving cost the US $132 Billion.
During the year of 2015 10,265 people died in drunk driving crashes.
MADD has saved about 300,000 lives since 1980.
In 1984 President Ronald Reagan signed a federal law to enforce the legal drinking age as 21; before, this was up to the individual states to regulate. In 1987 the Supreme Court recognized this as a constitutional act.
One third of alcohol-involved deaths are passengers, occupants in other vehicles or pedestrians. This is another life who did not ask for this. Senseless.
132 billion dollars is spent annually on alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes.
There is a 67% reduction of drunk driving repeat offenses when ignition interlocks [ignition interlock device, IID] are installed.
After a DUI, some states require an ignition interlock which is a device that prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver has been drinking. Essentially it is a breathalyzer installed in your vehicle.
In 2011, there were 1,249 people under 21 that were killed in drunk driving crashes.
Sarah was a beautiful person. She was loving, caring, and so talented with a gorgeous voice when she sang. That day it was like the world became silent for a moment.
Sarah was the Sweetheart of my college fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha. In her short time with us, she touched the lives of so many. Please don’t drink and drive.
If you do happen to go out and drink, call a friend to dive you home, an uber, cab…anything but do not put yourself at risk or someone else’s loved one.
You are loved!
Until next time Life, taxes and…
Josh
https://www.cdc.gov
http://www.madd.org
