Whether it’s beer at the ballgame, wine with dinner, or mimosas at brunch, alcohol is a major part of American culture. While an occasional drink isn’t necessarily harmful, drinking even one drink before getting behind the wheel of a car can be deadly. This article will help drivers better understand the dangers of drinking and driving.
Drinking and Driving Statistics
National drinking and driving statistics indicate that, in one recent year alone, drunk-driving crashes killed 11,904 people nationwide. This striking figure is equivalent to an average of one preventable death every 44 minutes and roughly 32 lives lost every single day. Alcohol-impaired driving accounted for roughly 30 percent of all traffic fatalities that year. The year before that, an estimated 360,441 people suffered preventable injuries in drunk-driving crashes.
The problem extends well beyond crashes that result in injuries and deaths. Millions of people admit to driving under the influence each year, and self-reported survey data suggest that arrests capture only a small fraction of actual impaired driving incidents on the road. Researchers estimate that 2 out of 3 people will experience the effects of drunk driving firsthand at some point in their lives, whether as a driver, passenger, pedestrian, or family member left to cope with the aftermath.
While these numbers are certainly concerning, they rise and fall throughout the year. Unfortunately, drunk driving increases sharply during the holidays – a period filled with parties and alcohol. In 2018, alcohol caused half of the traffic fatalities on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
These numbers indicate that drunk driving isn’t a rare or isolated risk. It’s a persistent threat that affects individuals and communities throughout the country on a daily basis.
How Big of a Problem Is Drunk Driving in Alabama?
Drunk driving is an equally serious and persistent threat on Alabama roads. In a single recent year, law enforcement identified 6,751 drivers suspected of alcohol or drug impairment across the state. Drivers between the ages of 20 and 34 accounted for the largest share of these cases. However, suspected driver impairment was present in every age group, including children under the age of 15.
Statewide statistics suggest that impaired driving crashes tend to spike late at night, peaking around 1 a.m., and that weekends are especially dangerous. Saturdays accounted for 24.1 percent of impaired driving crashes in one recent year, with Sundays following closely behind at 19.6 percent. This means nearly half of all impaired driving crashes that year happened on just those two days of the week.
That year, impaired driving contributed to 197 deaths across 5,005 crashes in Alabama. State crash data show that impaired driving crashes have a fatality rate 6.8 times higher than the overall fatal crash rate, a stark reminder of how much more dangerous collisions can be once alcohol enters the equation.
These sobering numbers prove that drunk driving is a serious problem in Alabama and the nation as a whole.
The Dangers of Drinking and Driving
Alcohol alters the brain in many ways. Here are a few of the ways that alcohol affects a driver’s abilities and makes driving far more dangerous:
- Concentration. Drivers must quickly process numerous pieces of information. Alcohol reduces the attention span, which makes it harder for drivers to focus on the road. One study found that drunken drivers were far more likely than sober drivers to swerve or otherwise drive dangerously when distracted.
- Coordination. Safe drivers need good hand-eye coordination. But studies have found that alcohol reduces the brain’s ability to respond to visual cues. This reduction makes it more difficult for drivers to respond to sudden changes or hazards.
- Drowsiness. Alcohol is a depressant. Depressant drugs create a sedative effect that makes people drowsy. Drowsy drivers are three times more likely to crash than rested motorists.
- Impaired Vision. Drivers must see the road to drive safely. But alcohol often causes blurred vision. It can also affect pupil dilation, which makes it more difficult for drivers’ eyes to adjust to oncoming headlights. Alcohol can even affect peripheral vision.
- Reduced Reaction Times. Quick reactions help drivers avoid hazards. But multiple studies have found that alcohol greatly reduces reaction times. While losing one-tenth of a second may not seem like much, a drunken driver cruising at 70 miles per hour would need an additional 12 feet to react to a threat. These 12 feet could be the difference between hitting another car or avoiding it.
- Impaired Judgment. Drivers need to make important – even life-saving – decisions while behind the wheel. While alcohol is a depressant, it can also have a stimulant effect. The side effects of this stimulation can include overconfidence and a decreased inhibition. These two traits can lead drivers to take unnecessary, reckless risks.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much in Alabama?
Alabama law sets strict limits on how much alcohol a person can have in their system when they’re behind the wheel. These limits vary depending on who’s driving and what type of vehicle they’re operating. Section 32-5A-191 of the Alabama Code sets the following Alabama BAC limits:
- Drivers 21 and Older – These drivers can be found in violation of Alabama DUI laws if they drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher.
- Drivers Under 21 – Alabama enforces a near-zero-tolerance standard for underage drivers. The BAC limit for these drivers is just 0.02, a fraction of the legal adult threshold.
- School Bus and Day Care Drivers – School bus and day care drivers can’t exceed a BAC of 0.02 while performing their duties, given their heightened responsibility for transporting children.
- Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers – Alabama has a 0.04 BAC limit for anyone operating a commercial vehicle due to the unique dangers these massive vehicles pose on the road.
These limits exist because alcohol impairs judgment, reaction time, and coordination well before a person reaches the legal thresholds. Even a BAC below the legal limit can slow reflexes and cloud decision-making. A driver who violates any of these limits puts every other person on the road at risk.
Even at a BAC of 0.02, a driver will begin to experience effects such as decreased vision, lowered concentration, and impaired judgment. A 200-pound-man can reach a BAC of 0.02 after just one drink.
The Consequences of Drinking and Driving
Alabama takes drunk driving seriously, and the penalties for DUI reflect that.
A first-time DUI conviction is punishable by jail time, significant fines, and license suspension. Repeat offenses carry even steeper consequences, including mandatory ignition interlock device installation, longer license revocations, and, in some cases, felony charges that can follow offenders for the rest of their lives.
More Serious Consequences for Injuries and Deaths
If a driver’s impairment leads to a serious injury or death, the legal stakes are even higher. Prosecutors can pursue vehicular manslaughter or homicide charges against drivers whose intoxication causes fatal crashes, and these charges often carry lengthy prison sentences.
Alabama law also allows for aggravated DUI charges if a drunk-driving crash results in serious injury. These more severe charges are particularly likely if a driver had prior DUI convictions or was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash.
Civil Liability for Drunk Driving
Beyond these criminal penalties, drunk drivers in Alabama can also face civil liability for the harm they cause, separate and apart from any criminal case brought by the state. Alabama law allows drunk-driving victims to seek compensation for medical bills, income losses, funeral expenses, and other losses tied to a DUI crash. The civil process gives victims and their families a path toward financial recovery, regardless of whether drunk drivers ever face criminal charges, convictions, or jail time.
Courts usually hold drunk drivers responsible for their victims’ medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. When drivers are particularly reckless, courts can award special damages – known as punitive damages – to punish the driver. In one recent case, the Alabama Supreme Court approved a verdict that awarded the victim 1.8 million in damages and another two million in punitive damages.
While this is not a typical result, it proves that drunk driving is both dangerous and costly.
When Alcohol Servers Can Be Held Responsible
While this post focuses on drivers, people who serve alcohol can also be held responsible for drunk drivers. If a person or business continues to serve alcohol to a visibly drunk person and that drunk person causes an accident, the driver’s victims can sue the person or business that served the alcohol. (This is known as the “dram shop” law.) This law also applies to those who serve alcohol to those under 21.
Serving drinks might seem like the hallmark of a good host, but it is a serious responsibility. The Alabama Supreme Court recently approved a $15 million verdict against a convenience store that sold alcohol to an underage driver. This is an unusual verdict, but it puts drivers on notice that Alabama courts consider drinking and driving to be a serious offense.
How to Prevent Drinking and Driving
Though the dangers of drinking and driving are real, the good news is that they can be avoided. Following these tips can reduce drunken driving during the holidays and the rest of the year.
If you are a party guest or a driver:
- DO NOT DRIVE after drinking. Remember that even one drink can affect your driving ability. If you plan to drink, use a taxi, rideshare service, or designated driver to get home safely.
If you are a party host:
- Pay attention to guests that appear to have had too much to drink.
- Make sure that each guest has a safe ride home.
- Take the keys from any drunken guest that insists on driving.
- Provide food and snacks. (Food helps the body absorb alcohol.)
- NEVER serve alcohol to underage guests.
A Moment of Reflection
Statistics and statutory penalties only tell part of the story. Behind all drunk-driving crash statistics are real people whose lives are changed in an instant. In the worst cases, those lives are needlessly cut short, and grieving families are left to pick up the pieces. Drunk drivers don’t just cause collisions. They can take away a parent’s ability to hold their child, a spouse’s capacity to work and provide for their family, or, in the most devastating cases, a loved one’s life altogether.
The team at Collins Law, LLC, has sat across the table from many drunk-driving victims and their families. We’ve listened to their stories, felt their frustration and grief, and watched them search for ways to move forward after other people’s reckless choices upended everything they knew. That experience drives our commitment to every case we take on, and it shapes how we advocate for the people we represent.
More Questions? Get in Touch with Our Experienced Distracted Driving Lawyers
Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid the dangers of drunk driving. If you or someone you know has been hurt by a drunk driver, contact Collins Law, LLC. Our firm specializes in protecting the rights of the injured. If a drunk driver hurt you or someone you love, know that you don’t have to face the legal system alone. Our law firm is ready to listen, fight for the compensation you deserve, and make sure your voice is heard throughout the process. Contact us today for a free consultation.
