Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is driving under the influence of alcohol. In most areas, if your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is over .08 percent and you are operating a vehicle, you are guilty of drunk driving.

Drunk driving is responsible for thousands of fatalities and injuries per year, killing drunk drivers and innocent victims alike. Although the penalties in most states for driving drunk are severe, including steep fines, suspended licenses and jail time, people keep doing drinking and driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 170-pound man must drink more than four drinks in one hour on an empty stomach. A normal, 137-pound woman can have three drinks an hour on an empty stomach before her BAC reaches .08%. These levels are not usually associated with normal social drinking and can be a sign of alcoholism.

According to data from the NHTSA, in the year 2000, America experienced the largest percentage of increase in drunk-driving traffic deaths to date. A total of 17,380 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes. An average of one person every half-hour died from drunk driving, constituting approximately 41% of the 41,945 total traffic fatalities. Since that time, the drunk-driving status quo has held steady, increasing by a few percentage points each year.

Because most people understand that drunk driving is a serious crime with serious consequences -- legal and moral -- if you find yourself repeatedly driving drunk, you should consider whether or not you have a problem with drinking. If you suspect that your drunk driving is a sign of alcohol abuse, please think about getting help before you injure yourself or someone else.

If drunk driving might be a problem for you or someone you love, we encourage you to give Treatment Referral a call today to learn more about your treatment options.