4 Sobering Facts about Drunk-Driving Accidents – Tyler Personal-Injury Lawyer Insights

Most car accidents are preventable. Texting, eating behind the wheel, speeding – there are plenty of ways that driver error and negligence can cause a crash. One of the most deadly among them is drinking and driving.

Nearly one-third of deaths on U.S. roads in 2014 involved alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although police arrested more than 1 million people for driving under the influence that year, this accounts for only 1 percent of self-reported cases of drunk driving.

The message is clear: Drunk drivers are on the road, and they cause tragic accidents every day. If you were injured by an intoxicated motorist in Texas, contact the Cooper Law Firm.

Attorney N. Eric Cooper is a personal-injury lawyer in Tyler who can represent your interests. He will help you avoid mistakes during the claims process, such as unknowingly admitting fault, and will fight for the highest possible settlement.

Call 903-297-0037 today to schedule a free consultation. Until then, read on to learn four sobering facts about drunk driving:

1. More than 200 children aged 14 and younger died in alcohol-related accidents in 2013.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals drunk driving’s tragic contribution to children’s deaths. Nearly 17 percent of young kids who die in motor-vehicle accidents are involved in alcohol-related crashes.

More than 60 percent of these children were passengers of drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. Another 15 percent were bicyclists or pedestrians who were hit by drivers with BACs of at least 0.08 percent.

2. Drunk driving rates in Texas are higher than the national average.

In the United States, 1.9 percent of adults report having driven under the influence within the last 30 days. In Texas, the ratio is 2.1 percent. More than 13,000 people died in drunk-driving crashes in Texas between 2003 and 2012. That’s the equivalent of 27 Boeing 747 jets crashing with no survivors.

3. Nearly one-third of motorcyclists who die in accidents have BACs of 0.08 percent or higher.

In the United States, 29 percent of motorcyclists who died in 2014 were legally too intoxicated to ride. Bikers between the ages 40 and 49 accounted for most of these deaths.

4. Drivers between 21 and 24 years old are most likely to be intoxicated and involved in fatal accidents.

Drivers in this age group are involved in 30 percent of fatal drunk-driving collisions. They are followed closely by drivers aged 25 to 34, who contribute to 29 percent of these accidents.

If you were injured by a drunk or negligent driver, contact the Cooper Law Firm. You may be entitled to compensation for lost income, medical bills and other damages.

Attorney N. Eric Cooper is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Gregg County Bar Association. He will give your case the individual attention that it deserves. Schedule a free initial consultation with a Tyler accident attorney by calling 903-297-0037.