While our readers know that drinking and driving is reckless and dangerous, they may know people in Sioux Falls who think that authorities exaggerate the dangers. If there is someone in your life that still thinks drunk driving is not a big problem, you can share these statistics with them, provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- On average, someone in the U.S. is killed in a DUI accident every 48 minutes
- Drunk drivers cause more than 10,000 deaths every year, representing almost 30 percent of all traffic fatalities
- In 2018, drunk drivers killed more than 230 children aged 14 and under
There is some good news: drinking and driving has gone down nationwide in the past decade. Part of that is due to the introduction of ridesharing companies like Lyft and Uber that offer a convenient alternative to drinking and driving. Enforcement of DUI laws also helps.
Drunk driving is a problem in Sioux Falls
Still, people in South Dakota continue to drive after drinking alcohol. And other people continue to pay the price. A serious crash caused by a drunk driver can permanently disable someone, leave them in chronic pain, or even take away their life. As a result, victims and their families (or next of kin) could face huge medical bills and other costs while they are unable to work. Without compensation, they could have a financial crisis on top of their physical disabilities.
State law holds negligent drivers financially responsible for the harm they caused others in a car accident. But defendants and their auto insurance companies are not always eager to do the right thing. A personal injury attorney can help you seek rightful compensation.