The
Connection
Alcohol
related motor vehicle accidents are on the decline in Dallas County and
statewide. This indicates that public awareness campaigns on drunk driving
are having an effect. However, drunk driving still accounts for over a
quarter of all fatal motor vehicle accidents.
Drug related motor vehicle accidents have shown a steady increase over the last five years. While the total numbers of these accidents are far lower than alcohol related accidents, this is still a troubling trend.
The
Costs
According to the National Safety Council, the calculable costs
of motor-vehicle crashes are wage and productivity losses, medical expenses,
administrative expenses, motor vehicle damage, and employer costs. In
2000, Dallas County reported the following alcohol and drug related motor
vehicle accident data: 70 fatalities, 3,302 injuries, and 1,243 non-injury
accidents. The estimated total cost of these accidents was $147 million.
Between 1996–2000, the total cost of Dallas County alcohol and drug
related motor vehicle accidents was $808 million.
In
the News
Dallas Morning News, June 2002
The driver of a charter bus, impaired by a mix of Valium and cocaine,
drove off of I-20 and crashed, killing himself and four members of the
Metro Church of Garland on their way to summer camp.
Dallas
Morning News, November 2002
Two high school girls were killed and two others were injured when the
sport utility they were in crashed into a guardrail, struck a light
pole and landed upside down. The teenage driver, 17, had a blood alcohol
level of .25.
-
Make A Difference
-
Call 911 to report a person driving erratically.
Advocate for mandatory treatment for those convicted of drinking and driving.
- Educate
your children about the dangers and results of driving under the influence
or riding in vehicles with those who have been drinking.
- Choose not to drive under the influence yourself.
Resources
Education,
Prevention, Victim Assistance Services
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(800) 382-MADD
State
& National Organizations
TX Dept. of Public
Safety (214) 861-2000
Miscellaneous
Blood
Alcohol Content (BAC) Charts (male and female)
