Most people in St. Augustine are aware of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, the problem continues to persist, causing many injuries and fatalities each year. The following statistics demonstrate that as of 2016, too many people have been injured or killed in drunk driving accidents and drugged driving accidents.
Drunk driving is a major issue in Florida. In 2016, the state saw 5,223 alcohol confirmed crashes, 417 of which were fatal. An alcohol confirmed crash is one where either the motorist or a non-motorist had a blood alcohol content over 0.00 percent. In addition, there were 1,971 crashes, which caused 3,160 injuries.
Drugged driving is also an issue in Florida. In 2016, there were 617 crashes caused by drugged driving. A drug confirmed crash is one in which either the motorist or a non-motorist tested positive for drugs in their system when the accident occurred. Of these crashes, 291 were fatal. Also, there was 321 drug confirmed injury crashes, with 542 drug confirmed injuries.
Moreover, some crashes involved both alcohol and drugs. In 2016, Florida saw 349 crashes where both drugs and alcohol were a factor. Of these, there were 262 drugs and alcohol confirmed fatal crashes, causing 299 fatalities. There were 148 drug and alcohol confirmed injury crashes, and 254 drugs and alcohol confirmed injuries.
One can only argue that drinking and driving is an ongoing problem in Florida. DUI crashes cause many injuries and fatalities. Those who have been injured in a DUI crash, or their survivors in the case of a fatality, may want to seek the assistance they need to determine if they can take legal action against the responsible party.
