Texas DWI Traffic Crashes in 2011

The Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse reports that approximately 16,000 alcohol-related traffic accident deaths occur every year in the United States. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol plays a role in about one out of every three traffic fatalities.
Those most involved in drunk driving incidents are men; the leading age groups who drink and drive per the CDC are aged 18 to 20 (88 percent). Even a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .02 percent can lead to a loss of judgment and problems doing two tasks at one time. A .05 percent BAC results in reduced coordination, inability to track moving objects, and difficulties with steering. A .08 percent BAC, which is the legal limit in Texas and the rest of the country, results in problems controlling speed and problems processing information as well as reasoning.

The Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) reported that in 2011 more than half of all fatalities in crashes involving alcohol resulted in the deaths of the DWI driver. In 2011, the city of Houston experienced 85 DWI-related traffic fatalities along with 387 serious injuries. Houston had more alcohol-related traffic crashes and injuries than any other city in the state. The age group with the highest percentage of DWI crashes was the group aged 21 to 25, followed by those aged 26 to 30. Close to half of those Texas drivers who died in alcohol-related traffic accidents had a BAC of .08 percent or more. Despite the fact that great strides have been made in reducing alcohol-related traffic deaths over the last ten years, too many individuals continue to drink and drive in both Texas and the nation.

Obviously, driving while under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs is a form of negligence. That negligence forms the basis of any injury or wrongful death claim by victims involved in alcohol-related traffic accidents; these individuals have a right to proper compensation for their damages and losses. For those who have been thus harmed, enlisting the services of a proven personal injury lawyer can help to ensure that the compensation they seek is delivered in an amount that reflects all of the repercussions of the accident which harmed them.