Utah residents are known for treasuring and cherishing their families. This logically leads them to place a high value on making prudent decisions and putting safety first. Unfortunately, there seem to be enough people who still choose to give in to their selfish whims at times and take actions that put other people in harm’s way. Driving after drinking alcohol is one of these actions.
Records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that drunk drivers are responsible for a growing number of deaths in Utah. In 2018, the total number of people killed in vehicular accidents actually dropped across the state from 273 the previous year to 260. The number of people killed in drunk driving accidents, however, increased from 54 to 61 in that same year. In 2017, drunk drivers were responsible for 20% of the state’s total accident fatalities. In 2018, that rose to 23%.
This increase comes on the heels of two other increases first from 46 deaths in 2015, representing 17% of all vehicular deaths to 53 fatalities in 2016 that accounted for 19% of the state’s total fatalities in motor vehicle accidents. While the decline in total accident deaths in the state is a good sign, the increase in drunk driving deaths is tragic indeed.
If you would like to learn more about how you or someone you love can get the guidance and assistance they need after being involved in a crash caused by a negligent and impaired driver, please feel free to visit the drunk driving wreck page of our Utah motor vehicle accident and personal injury website.