A large percentage of drunk driving accidents are attributed to younger drivers. More than 80 percent of DUI fatalities in 2012 involved impaired drivers who were 44 years old or younger. Among this group, the greatest concentration of incidents involved those between the ages of 21 and 24, while the percentages declined for those between the ages of 35 and 44. However, the largest percentage of such fatalities for motorcyclists involved individuals between 40 and 44 years of age.
In 2012, 239 children under the age of 15 were fatally injured in impaired driving accidents. More than half of these children rode in the same car with the impaired party. These can be some of the most emotional outcomes, especially in cases involving an impaired parent causing the fatal accident. Safety and education programs may need to be designed with ages and interests in mind to be more effective. Emotion may be used to appeal to parents’ interests, while stiff penalties and lost freedoms may appeal to the interests of those who have recently reached an age at which alcohol consumption is legal.
After an accident caused by an impaired driver, the resulting physical and financial effects to a victim can be considerable. A personal injury attorney can be of assistance in filing a claim for the recovery of available damages.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts”, accessed on Jan. 31, 2015
