Drunk drivers remain a severe risk in Texas across the United States. This is true despite other potential dangers like distracted driving and recklessness increasingly coming to the forefront. Since drunk driving diminishes reaction time, impairs judgment and leaves drivers prone to making mistakes that cause collisions, it is a frequent catalyst for crashes with catastrophic injuries and death. Research backs up the presumptions about DWIs and it is imperative for everyone – drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians – to be vigilant about it.
Texas fourth worst for DWI fatalities
A study conducted by the website BuyInsurance.com ranks Texas fourth in number of DWI fatalities behind only Mississippi, South Carolina and New Mexico. To come to its conclusions, the authors of the study used information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Between 2016 and 2018, the state had 5,129 fatalities in which a drunk driver was involved.
Since Texas is such a large state, its total number of deaths was higher than the states ahead of it, but the rankings are based on the number of fatalities per 100,000 residents. Based on that, Texas had 7.76 drunk driving deaths for every 100,000 residents. That is compared to Mississippi (8.77); South Carolina (8.40); and New Mexico (7.94). Behind Texas was Louisiana at 6.74. Despite these troubling totals, Texas did improve slightly with a decline of 3.6% during the years that were assessed. Across the nation, there was a 4.3% decline in DWI fatalities.
The cause of an auto accident can be essential when weighing options
As this study shows, DWIs are still a primary cause of people being injured and losing their lives on the road. Regardless of how and why a car accident happened, the aftermath will have certain fundamental challenges including medical expenses, problems returning to work, the inability to contribute to a family and more. When there is a fatality, the family left behind might not know how they will make ends meet. This is before even thinking about the emotional impact an unexpected death will cause. Gathering evidence is critical whether the collision came about because of a drunk driver or not. From the outset, it is wise to know the value of advice. It is useful to discuss the case with experienced professionals.