NHTSA: DUI CRASHES KILL 28 PEOPLE IN THE U.S. EACH DAY

On behalf of Hyland Law Firm, LLC posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Tuesday, September 2, 2014.

Drunk driving continues to be a major threat to life and limb in Kansas and Missouri. Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded in 1980, and since then, according to national data from 2012, the annual number of DUI-related deaths has been reduced by half. Still, more needs to be done, both in terms of driver education and justice in civil and criminal courts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported in 2013 that 28 people die each day in the U.S. because of drunk driving accidents. In 2012, The NHTSA also estimated that, on average, a DUI crash took a person's life every 51 minutes. That year, DUI crashes injured 290,000 people and took the lives of 10,322.

Whether or not people are mindful of the serious risks posed by drunk driving, it is clear that drivers are aware of when they shouldn't be behind the wheel. A national study from 2012 showed that 29.1 million individuals -- more people than the entire population of Texas -- indicated that they had driven while under the influence.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control reported that an average driver who has been arrested for DUI for the first time has driven while intoxicated 80 times prior to the first arrest. Each of those times puts the driver's life and the lives of others at risk.

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries because of a drunk driver's negligence, then there may be legal avenues for you to pursue beyond the criminal court. A DUI conviction may result in penalties for a drunk driver, but a civil claim of personal injury may be the surest way for a victim to receive compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs resulting from the crash.

Source: MADD.org, "Drunk Driving Statistics," Accessed Sept. 2, 2014