Spring Break is a dangerous time for Texas drivers. Hundreds of young people lose their lives because they made the decision to drive drunk, which is why the Texas Department of Public Safety has taken steps to educate college students about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol. In 2016, there were 13,510 crashes in the state of Texas that involved young drivers between the ages of 17 and 34 that were driving while intoxicated (which resulted in 535 fatalities and 1,355 serious injuries). During Spring Break, there were 458-DUI-related accidents that involved young drivers, which resulted in 15 fatalities and 35 serious injuries.
Spring Breakers are encouraged to plan ahead, and they should find safer alternatives to getting behind the wheel. Some of these can include, but may not be limited to:
- Calling a taxi
- Using a rideshare service
- Using public transportation
- Using a designated driver who is sober
- Staying where you are
The legal limit in the state of Texas is a BAC that’s below .08. And if you’re caught driving under the influence, you could pay a fine of up to $17,000 that can include time and jail and a loss of your license.
DWI-Related Deaths in the State of Texas
Because it’s such a large state, Texas experiences a large number of auto accidents every year. This includes incidents that are related to drunk driving. The state had 13,138 fatalities related to drunk driving from 2003 to 2012, which was higher than the national average in that space of time. There were 1,024 fatalities related to the use of alcohol. Out of that number, 37.59% were driving over the legal limit, while 7.73% had alcohol in their systems.
Additional data showed that there were more tragedies with regard to age. The Texas Department of Transportation discovered that most drunk drivers that died in a crash were in the following age ranges:
- 21-25 with 206 deaths.
- 26-30 with 147 deaths.
- 31-35 with 115 deaths.
The combined number of drunk drivers between the ages of 21 and 35 made up 50% of all DWI-related deaths in 2017. The Texas Department of Public Safety showed that most of these accidents occurred between 2:00am and 2:59am on Sunday mornings. Because bars close late on Saturday nights, people are more likely to drive drunk during that time.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed, Gale Law Group has a group of qualified attorneys that can help you. We will hold the driver accountable, because it’s important for them to be liable for any death or injury of which they were the cause. We can give you the peace of mind that you deserve, and we’ll be able to give you solid counsel during the entire process.
If you want more information about how we can help you, get in touch with us today! We would be happy to speak with you!
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