Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one person is killed about every 39 minutes in a drunk driving crash, totaling more than 13,000 lives lost each year. Before this coming Labor Day, the NHTSA is sponsoring its annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” drunk driving awareness campaign. The national campaign runs from August 14^th to September 2^nd; it aims to educate Americans about the dangers and consequences of getting behind the wheel while under the influence.

Drunk Driving Victims

Even when it is used legally, responsibly, and in moderation, alcohol is still a substance that reduces functions of the brain, impairing reasoning, thinking, and muscle coordination. Together, these become a significant hazard when an impaired person attempts to operate a motor vehicle. An individual’s blood alcohol level, or BAC (blood alcohol concentration), is measured by the weight of alcohol in a certain volume of blood. The more alcohol a person drinks (in combination with other factors, like gender, height, and weight), the higher their BAC becomes. All 50 states as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have made it illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter, or .08 g/dL, because crash risks rise sharply at that point. The only exception to the rule is Utah, which enforces a BAC limit of .05 g/dL.

In today’s world, the tragic reality is that there are countless stories about children and adults whose lives have been stamped out far too soon by drunk drivers. For example, a 30-year-old Philadelphia bicyclist was killed by a drunk driver just last month. The NHTSA reports that, on average, 37 people die in drunk driving crashes each day. Here are some additional key safety facts on drunk driving from the NHTSA’s data from 2022 or the most recently available year:

• A total of 13,524 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths
• Even if a driver is within the legal limit, his or her ability to drive safely can still be affected. There were 2,337 people killed in alcohol-related crashes where the driver had a BAC of .01 to .07 g/dL, which is within the legal limit so long as the driver is of legal drinking age
• About 32% of all traffic fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher
• 490 people died in traffic crashes during the 2022 Labor Day weekend. 39% of these crashes involved a drunk driver and one-quarter of the crashes involved a driver with a BAC of .15 (nearly two times the legal limit) or more

Safety Tips: Plan Ahead and Be Responsible

Just like with other major holidays, such as the Fourth of July, drunk driving-related crashes are even more likely to occur during Labor Day weekend. The NHTSA will be sponsoring an influx of law enforcement agents on the nation’s roadways as part of its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. The organization also has the following recommendations for how you can make safety a part of your plan this Labor Day:

• Before drinking, plan a safe – and sober – ride home
• Do not let someone get behind the wheel if they have been drinking alcohol
• If you are hosting this year’s holiday gathering, ensure that all guests have a sober ride home
• If you see an impaired driver, call 9-1-1. Remember to always wear your seat belt – it is your best defense against impaired drivers

Were You Injured by a Drunk Driver?

A car accident can change your life forever. While over ten thousand drunk driving-related accidents end in fatalities each year, hundreds of thousands more cause life-changing injuries and disability. Here are just a few examples of the injuries that drunk driving accidents commonly inflict on victims:

• Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs
• Internal organ damage
• Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
• Broken bones
• Whiplash
• Soft tissue injuries
• Burns
• Amputations

Even if you are a safe and responsible driver, you cannot control others on the road. If you or a loved one was involved in a motor vehicle accident with an impaired driver, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about recovering damages to help you into the future. At Galfand Berger, our attorneys have decades of experience representing injured victims. If you would like to learn more about filing a claim, contact a representative online now who can help.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

If you have questions about filing a claim for injuries you sustained, contact the Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.