A total of 11,773 of the nation’s 37,261 traffic fatalities were caused by drunk drivers, according to a comprehensive look at drunk driving released in time for the holiday driving season by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes encourage everyone to do their part in preventing drunk driving accidents as we head into the heart of the holiday season.
In Illinois, of the 1,043 people killed in traffic accidents, one in three (362) were legally drunk and one in four (252) had a blood alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit (.15) or higher.
While drunk driving deaths decreased nearly 10 percent from the 13,041 deaths recorded in 2007, the new statistics are startling confirmation that one-third of all traffic deaths are the direct result of drunk driving.
The statistics represent an average of one drunk driving death every 45 minutes.
Included in the deaths were 692 non-occupant fatalities, which usually means a bicyclist or pedestrian death.
Over 70 percent of drunk driving fatalities occurred at night and 55 percent occurred during the weekend.
One in every 7 drivers killed in a drunk driving accident were under the age of 21 (and thus not even old enough to drink). One-third of drivers ages 25 to 34 who were killed in fatal accidents were intoxicated. One in four drivers 35 to 44 who were killed were intoxicated.
In recent months, the Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog at Abels & Annes has reported on the dangers of nighttime driving, the increasing number of women arrested for DUI, and a report that found 1 in 7 weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for alcohol or drugs.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a Chicago DUI accident, the personal injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes offer free appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS.