When a driver makes the decision to get behind the wheel after consuming a few drinks, the risk of dying in a Florida car accident increases. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of only 0.05 percent have a greater probability of a fatal accident and it gets worse at a 0.08 percent BAC. The risk is very high for a driver with a BAC of 0.15 percent to be involved in a deadly collision.
There has been a 37 percent decline in the number of drunk driving fatalities since 1982 and there has also been a significant decrease among drivers with very high BACs. However, even with all of the awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, people still drive drunk. In 2008, 8,027 drivers with BACs of 0.08 percent and above were killed in car accidents. The estimated deaths for drivers with BACs of 0.15 percent were 5,897.
The following is an overview of the 2008 drunk driving facts, based on information from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System:
- Drivers of large trucks had the lowest proportion of BACs of 0.08 percent or higher
- Alcohol is a major factor in motorcycle accident deaths
- 30 percent of fatally injured motorcyclists had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher
- Drivers younger than 21 are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal drunk driving accident than older drivers
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Tampa or Orlando car accident caused by a drunk driver, you should hold that person accountable and may be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced Orlando car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Lilly, O’Toole & Brown, LLP at (863) 683-1111 for legal advice.