Government officials and civic organizations, like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are diligent about seeking ways to prevent drunk motorist from being on roadways. Many people believe that underage and young adult drivers create the most problems on highways. Older adults are more likely to have severe alcohol addiction problems and cause most major accidents that lead to personal injury lawsuits.
Recent crime statistics prove that a high number of drivers arrested for DUI will most likely be apprehended again in under 5 years. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation analyzed criminal data and found that at least 21 percent of motorist will be repeat DUI offenders. Usually, the repeated actions happen within at least 6 months of the first incidence.
MADD has released data showing that fatalities are high when alcohol involved according to their Tennessee drunk driving report. Some sobering statistics include:
- The fact that 27.8% of traffic deaths are related to drunk driving
- The number of 3-time offenders is 59,208
- The number of 5-time offenders is 17,342
- Taxpayers subsidize $1.3 billion towards drunk driving fatalities
Despite Negative Statistics Drunk Driving Is Decreasing
Residents are concerned when driving because vehicle collisions cause major safety issues within the state of Tennessee. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Office collects data and tries to create policies that keep all people safe when traveling. The primary belt law gives law enforcement officials the right to give a motorist a ticket if they are seen driving without a seat belt.
Drunk driving across the state has seen a decline slightly in 2016. The TN known alcohol-related crash data shows the accident rate across counties to be at 3,168 from a total of 6,527 for the 2015 year. The numbers may continue to rise, but this government policy seems to be making a dent into alcohol-related fatalities and injuries.
Law enforcement can establish sobriety checkpoints on roadways where all vehicles can be stopped or certain cars and trucks to check that the driver is sober. Many people do not think about all the consequences that can happen when driving drunk. A checkpoint may help to prevent some fatal accidents. A motorist, who intentionally or accidentally, kills another person while driving may also be charged with vehicular homicide. This fact should be a good reason for the drunk person to designate another driver or take an alternative way home when drunk and leaving a party.
Personal Injuries Result from Poor Driving Decisions
An automobile collision may result in property damage that exceeds over $400, and the TN Highway Safety Office keeps tracks of this data. A person is more like to experience severe injuries when in an accident with a drunk driver versus being fatally injured. Some people are making a concerted effort to break the cycle of receiving DUIs, and they are willing and sincere about going to court-ordered treatment programs.
In addition to statistics contained in a current drunk driving report, people are also causing accidents due to being distracted, and this may be because of using cell phones while driving. The injured party will want to work closely with a well-established personal injury lawyer so that they can receive the correct amount of compensation to get their life back.
Poor driving decisions, when at the wheel, continue to cause a high amount of accidents annually. Tennessee DUI felony laws can make a repeat offender current arrest a felony based on a high level of prior drunk driving arrests. Drivers can make better decisions while enjoying a good time out with friends by designating a driver who will remain sober for the evening and see that everyone else gets home safely