California frequently leads the nation in many trends. When it comes to strengthening laws designed to crack down on drunk drivers, the state has been among the first nationally to make people who choose to drive drunk experience harsher consequences. From the use of ignition interlock devices to steep fines and more, the goal of these efforts is ultimately to prevent instances of drunk driving. Sadly, it seems that many drivers refuse to get the message. At the Steve D. Davis Law Group, our commitment to protecting those injured by these negligent drivers remains strong.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California has seen an increase in drunk driving fatalities over the five years spanning from 2014 to 2018. This increase is not just in the number of people killed by drunk drivers, but also in the percent of overall traffic fatalities in which alcohol was a contributing factor.
In 2014, impaired driving deaths accounted for 28% of the state’s total accident deaths. That dropped to 27% in 2015, but then rose first to 29% in 2016 and then to 30% in both 2017 and 2018. Last year, the national average for drunk driving deaths as a percentage of total accident deaths was 29%, lower than the 30% in California.
If you would like to learn more about when and how to find the help you need after you or someone you love has been involved in an accident caused by an impaired driver, please feel free to visit the drunk driving crash assistance page of our California personal injury and motor vehicle accident website.
