Newly released statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal that about 3 percent of truck drivers were intoxicated at the time of a fatal crash during 2010.
Even without motorists driving under the influence, truck accidents involving passenger vehicles can be devastating. More often than not, those in the smaller cars succumb to severe injuries or even death, while the driver of the semi remains unharmed or only sustains minor injuries. Not all truck accidents can be prevented, but truck drivers who choose to drink and drive take unnecessary risks that could end up destroying the lives of North Carolina families.
Although the number of accidents involving intoxicated truckers is small, semi drivers were still making the roadways more dangerous by driving dunk. According to NHTSA statistics, most of the intoxicated truck drivers had high levels of alcohol in their system. Many of the truckers had blood alcohol contents between .08 and .14 at the time of an accident.
Thousands of other drivers including bus drivers, motorcyclists, and drivers of passenger vehicles also made the roads much more dangerous for folks in 2010. The NHTSA said that one out of every three traffic fatalities was caused by alcohol-related accidents.
Although many folks understand that drinking and driving is illegal and dangerous, thousands of individuals continue to endanger the lives of innocent motorists every year. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver or if you recently lost a loved one who was killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver, you may want to seek counsel from an attorney who can help you with your legal matters during this difficult time.
Source: The Trucker News Services, “Three percent of fatal truck accidents in 2010 involved alcohol,” Aug. 14, 2012
- Deaths resulting from the negligence of others are often difficult to come to terms with. Our firm provides counsel in these types of matters, including drunk driving accidents. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our North Carolina drunk driving accidents page.