The Risks and Consequences of Driving While Intoxicated
Impaired driving is a serious crime that puts everyone around a driver at risk. Despite ever-increasing penalties and the myriad of ways drunk driving can affect an individual, DUI rates have not significantly decreased over the years. This means that thousands of preventable injuries and deaths occur every single year.
Have you been hurt in a crash caused by a drunk driver? You could be entitled to significant compensation for your losses. Let us help. Call Peake & Fowler at 803-788-4370 to schedule a consultation with our team of car accident attorneys in Columbia.
Understanding the Dangers of Impaired Driving
Alcohol affects an individual’s driving abilities in a number of ways. It dramatically slows down your reaction time, making it harder to take action when an obstacle appears on the road. It also has a negative impact on overall judgment, making drivers more likely to make bad decisions while on the road. Furthermore, alcohol can affect your motor coordination, making it actually physically more challenging to drive.
Impaired driving is a significant issue in South Carolina. Per the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Richland County has some of the highest numbers of fatal and non-fatal DUI crashes in the entire state. Collisions are more likely to happen on secondary roadways, and Saturday and Sunday are the most common days for accidents.
Unfortunately, impaired driving is widely normalized in many parts of the United States. Some claim that this is due to the country’s limited public transportation options, which leaves people with the choice of either carpooling, taking a rideshare, or taking their chances driving.
Consequences of Driving While Intoxicated
Driving while impaired exposes a driver and everyone in their vicinity to significant risk. The driver may be arrested, leading to heavy fines, a long trip through the legal system, and a suspended license. Following that, a driver will have much higher insurance rates for years until their risk levels come back down.
If an individual causes a crash while impaired, the consequences are even worse. They may face felony charges and be forced to defend themselves against personal injury claims for the damage they cause.
Victims of impaired drivers often suffer the worst consequences of all. Even those with minor to moderate injuries are often left with significant mental trauma, which makes it hard to get back onto the road and live life as normal. Medical bills, lost wages, and property damage repairs are just some of the expenses a victim may accrue as they recover.
Of course, the worst possible outcome of a DUI is a preventable fatality. Those who cause fatalities while driving impaired often carry the guilt with them forever, knowing that one different choice could have changed the course of their life—and their victim’s life—forever. For the victim’s family, a DUI-related death is a loss that stays with them for the rest of their lives.
Who’s More Likely to Drive While Impaired?
A substantial amount of research has gone into impaired driving, due to its profound financial, emotional, and productivity costs. Those with an alcohol addiction or dependency are far more likely to drive while impaired, as are those with a family history of alcoholism. People who drive recklessly even while sober are likely to overestimate their ability to drive while impaired, making them more likely to get behind the wheel after too many drinks.
Geographical location is another factor. Those who live in areas where heavy drinking is a culturally accepted activity and hobby are more likely to be tolerant of drunk driving. People living in states with lax penalties for driving while impaired are also more likely to take unnecessary risks.
Although there have been numerous public education efforts to drive down DUI rates, a lot of work has to be done culturally and individually to address this epidemic.
Hurt in a DUI Crash? Call Peake & Fowler Today
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash caused by an impaired driver, you may be entitled to compensation. It’s important to talk to an attorney, discuss your claim, and learn more about your options. Set up a consultation now by reaching out to Peake & Fowler online or calling us at 803-788-4370.
