Do Drunk Drivers Survive Accidents

By James Roswold | October 22, 2021

There’s no disputing the fact that driving while under the influence leads to horrific accidents. However, there’s a belief that a drunk driver will be more likely to walk away from the accident or survive his injuries than other victims.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much information to back up this claim. The reality is that drunk driving accidents don’t discriminate in terms of causing catastrophic injuries and deaths.

The Myth About Unscathed Drunk Drivers

It’s not as though there’s an invisible line separating an intoxicated driver from his or her victim. But the misconception that drunken motorists are rarely hurt in the accidents they cause initially started in the early 1980s, when a Texas hospital released some preliminary study findings.

Between 1995 and 2009, a study by the University of Illinois at Chicago found that high blood alcohol content might be associated with a reduced fatality rate. However, conflicting research by a Vermont hospital in 1992 seemed to reach the opposite conclusion, finding drunk drivers suffered a much higher fatality rate.

What We Know About Drunk Driving Accidents

While recent statistics don’t differentiate between drunk drivers and other victims of these tragic collisions, they do show this situation remains a huge problem in our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28 people die every day in the United States in drunk driving collisions. Here are other startling statistics from the CDC:

  • In 2015, 10,625 people died in drunk driving accidents—almost one-third of all motor vehicle deaths
  • Of the 1,132 fatalities of children between 0 and 14 in 2015, 16 percent were caused by an alcohol-impaired driver.
  • In 2015, approximately 28 percent of drivers who were involved in fatal crashes and had blood alcohol content levels of 0.08 percent or higher were between the ages of 21 and 24; 27 percent were between the ages of 25 and 34.

Have You Been Injured By A Drunk Driver?

If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver you need to speak with an experienced drunk driving victim attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Kansas City office directly at 816-471-5111 to schedule your free consultation.

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Posted in Car Accidents, Drunk Driving Accidents