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Study Shows the Link Between a Rise in Drunk Driving Accidents and Binge Drinking

A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that though accidents caused by a drunk driver decreased in the mid 1990's, they did not continue this trend into the new millennium. Now, drunk driving accidents affect more people in Dallas and across Texas than ever before.

The Good News

The years 1993 to 1997 saw drunk driving accidents steadily decrease. Over that four year period alcohol related accidents decreased by 7 million. That means that potentially 7 million lives were saved over those four years in the mid 90's.

The Bad News

Unfortunately, this trend did not continue. Between 1997 and 1999, alcohol-impaired accidents increased by 37%. By 1999 there were 159 million accidents caused by drunk drivers, up 13 million from 1997. This steady rate of increased drunk driving accidents has continued. Car accidents are the leading cause of death in the United States for people between the ages of 1 and 34 and 30% of Americans will be involved in a drunk driving accident in their lifetimes.

Why Drunk Driving Accident Numbers Have Increased in Texas and Nationwide

Experts tend to blame binge drinking for the spike in the number of drunk driving accidents. They believe that the act of consuming five of more drinks at one time is a major contributor to the increase. Researchers at the CDC analyzed telephone surveys during a period of six years, 1993-2002. They found that people who had been binge drinking were 13 times more likely to report driving while under the influence.

""The increase in alcohol-impaired driving episodes is probably due, at least in part, to the substantial increase in binge drinking episodes," stated one of the studies' authors. "Indeed, prevention efforts in the United States are likely to be of limited success unless they are coupled with efforts to also reduce the prevalence of binge drinking."

What We Can Do to Prevent a Drunk Driving Accident In Texas

While one person cannot stop every driver from drinking and driving, we can each pledge to stop a friend, a family member, before it's too late. Many do not want to risk an argument when insisting that a friend not get behind the wheel. However, you must ask yourself if your friends hurt pride is more important than saving their life.

The drunk driving accident attorneys at the Hart Law Firm hope that our efforts to stop drunk driving will have an impact here in Texas. Join us in turning the tide, in making this the year that the number of drunk driving accidents begin to decrease.

We proudly represent clients in Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Bedford, Hurst, Keller, Irving, North Richland Hills, Euless, Coppell, Flower Mound, Dallas, Fort Worth, Ft Worth, Arlington, Westlake, Northlake, Plano, McKinney, Richland Hills, Watauga, Haltom City, Allen, Frisco, Cleburne, Saginaw, Azle, Weatherford, Decatur, Joshua, Kaufman, Springtown, Aledo and more. Contact us today for information on your case in Dallas County, Tarrant County, Denton County, Wise County, Collin County, Rockwall County, Kaufman County, Johnson County, and Parker County.