Summer is the time in New York for camping trips, family reunions and holiday celebrations. Alcohol is often served on these occasions and while most people in Olean drink responsibly there will always be those who make the risky decision to drive after drinking, leading to devastating drunk driving accidents that injure or even kill other motorists.
What are the statistics on drunk driving accidents?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each day 29 individuals in the U.S. lose their lives at the hands of a drunk driver. This amounts to one fatality every 50 minutes. In fact, in 2016 alone over 10,000 individuals lost their lives in a drunk driving crash, accounting for 28% of all traffic fatalities in the country.
Even a BAC below the legal limit can impair driving
As you may already know, a person whose blood-alcohol content is 0.08% or above is too drunk to drive safely. At that level, a person may be unable to concentrate or control their speed, may experience short-term memory loss, may find it difficult to process information and may find their perception is impaired. It is easy to see how any of these factors can lead to a drunk driving crash.
However, you do not need to have a BAC at or above the legal limit to be too impaired to drive. A person with a BAC of 0.05% may find it more difficult to steer their vehicle, may experience a reduction in their ability to respond to emergency driving situations and in their ability to track moving objects. Finally, a person with a BAC of 0.05% may experience a reduction in their coordination abilities. As this shows, you do not need to have a BAC at or above 0.08% to breach your duty of care to drive safely.
Learn more about automobile accidents in New York
A drunk driving crash can be catastrophic both for the crash victim and their family. What makes these types of crashes especially devastating is the fact that they are entirely preventable. This post is for educational purposes only and does not contain legal advice. Our firm’s webpage on automobile accidents may be a useful resource for those who want to learn more about their rights and options.
