What are the odds that you’ll encounter a drunk driver out there on the roads? What are the odds of ending up killed in a drunk driving accident?
It depends on where you happen to be driving. A study by the security company SafeWise that evaluated information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) looks at which states have a bigger problem with drunk driving than others.
Georgia was No. 21 on the list of states with the most drunk driving deaths per capita in 2017. Most of the states among the top five were on the list of “most dangerous” in 2016 as well.
The states with the lowest number of drunk driving deaths in 2017 include New Jersey (No. 1) and New York (No. 2). Researchers think the popularity of public transportation and services like Uber and Lyft in those two states may be a factor.
This news comes on the heels of a Thanksgiving weekend in Georgia during which 15 people were killed, and almost 400 were arrested in drunk driving incidents over a 102-hour period. Those figures only include cases handled by the Georgia State Patrol. Since local law enforcement data isn’t included, that means the true number of drunk driving incidents during that period was likely much higher.
Drunk driving accidents can leave victims physically and emotionally devastated — if they survive. In cases where the victim of a drunk driving accident dies, families may be left with unpaid bills amid their grief. That’s what makes it so important to find out more about your rights to compensation.
