Every year, alcohol-related crashes in the United States greatly. That’s more than what Americans spend on groceries each year.
The social and economic costs are not just seen on a human level, but also present themselves as a financial burden to businesses and taxpayers alike. Learn why these crashes can happen, what can be done to avoid them and how they affect us all here.
Alcohol-related crashes cost the US $199 billion each year.
Alcohol-related vehicle crashes are a cause of injury and death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, alcohol-related crashes cost the US $199 billion dollars every year in healthcare costs, productivity losses, property damages and other social harms. Alcohol-impaired drivers are responsible for one in 10 traffic deaths in the United States—more than twice that of any illicit drug (4.2%), but one in four (24.3%) that is caused by drunk driving.
Understanding the Costs of Drunk Driving
-The social and economic costs are not just seen on a human level, but also present themselves as a financial burden to businesses and taxpayers alike. Learn why these crashes can happen, what can be done to avoid them and how they affect us all here.
Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature deaths for people between the ages of 15 and 49 years in the United States. Alcohol is estimated to cause about 88,000 deaths each year.
While drunk driving is more likely to result in death or injury than driving sober, it’s drunk driving that continues to kill people at an alarming rate.
One in four traffic fatalities are caused by drunken drivers.
The financial burden of alcohol-related crashes isn’t just a burden for the person involved in a crash. The cost from one injury from an alcohol-related crash can easily go up to $1 million, whether it’s from long-term care, lost productivity or even property damages.
When you think about the number of people who are put at risk by drunk drivers each year, it might not seem like that much to drink and drive. But if we all took responsibility and decided to not drink and drive, we may see a dramatic improvement in our society as a whole: less deaths and injuries on our roads and less families torn apart by these preventable accidents.
10 million people are injured or killed in drunk driving accidents every year
Why These Drunk Driving Accidents Happen
A major factor in the number of alcohol-related crashes is that people don’t know what they’re drinking. The time it takes to reach the legal limit for driving varies, depending on how much you’ve had to drink and your weight. It can take up to twice as long to reach that legal limit for someone who weighs 300 pounds than it would for someone who weighs 150 pounds.
There are also other factors that involve why these drunk drivers cause accidents:
– An aggressive lifestyle;
– Devotion of spare time to alcohol;
– Irresponsible use of alcohol;
– A lack of awareness about the dangers of using drugs and alcohol
What Can Be Done to Avoid Drunk Driving Accidents
– Learn about the legal limit.
– Wear your seat belt.
– Choose not to drink and drive.
Conclusion
While drunk driving is more likely to result in death or injury than driving sober, it’s drunk driving that continues to kill people at an alarming rate. One in four traffic fatalities are caused by drunken drivers. The financial burden of alcohol-related crashes isn’t just a burden for the person involved in a crash. The cost from one injury from an alcohol-related crash can easily go up to $1 million, whether it’s from long-term care, lost productivity or even property damages. When you think about the number of people who are put at risk by drunk drivers each year, it might not seem like that much to drink and drive. But if we all took responsibility and decided to not drink and drive, we may see a change.
