Study finds even buzzed driving increases risk of auto accident

March 19, 2014

In New Jersey and across the country, the legal limit for getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent. This limit has led many motorists to assume they are capable of operating a vehicle safely so long as their BAC is under the legal limit. According to a recent study, however, that assumption may not be accurate.

New research suggests that even motorists who consume small quantities of alcohol, resulting in BACs below the legal limit, present a higher risk of being involved in deadly auto accidents than those who have not consumed any alcohol.

The researchers involved in the study looked at over 570,700 motor vehicle accidents in which at least one fatality occurred during the period from 1994 to 2011. The researchers then examined the attribution of blame following such fatal accidents. They found that even motorists with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 percent were held solely responsible for auto accidents 46 percent more frequently than their sober counterparts.

As a motorist's blood alcohol concentration increased from 0.01 percent, he or she was more likely to be responsible for a collision. The researchers did not detect a "sudden transition from blameless to blamed" when a driver reached a BAC above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Consequently, the researchers have recommended that the legal drinking limit in the United States be reduced from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent. Around the world, over 100 other countries have already taken that step.

Drunk driving collisions a serious problem across the country

In the United States, approximately 30 people are killed in drunk driving accidents each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 30 percent of all traffic deaths in the U.S. are caused by drunk drivers annually. In total, almost 10,300 people died in drunk driving accidents in the U.S. in 2010.

The statistics are similar in New Jersey, where 164 people lost their lives in drunk driving accidents in 2012, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The state saw a 15 percent reduction in the number of drunk driving fatalities that year; however, they still accounted for 28 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state.

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident for which a drunk driver was responsible, you may be entitled to receive compensation to account for the damage caused in the crash. Consider seeking the counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney to ensure your rights to recovery are protected.

Article provided by Palmisano & Goodman, P.A.
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