One of the most common types of car accidents in South Carolina, particularly among young people, are drunk driving accidents. Drunk driving accidents, also referred to as DUI accidents, can result in serious, life changing and in many cases, fatal injuries. This is especially true for the victim, or victims. In many South Carolina drunk driving accidents the drunk driver survives and is often times unharmed. This is due to the fact that an intoxicated person is in a state of sedation and unaware of what is going on around them. If you, or a loved one, have been injured due to a drunk driver you should consult with our team of South Carolina drunk driving lawyers as you may be entitled to benefits and financial compensation according to South Carolina personal injury law.
Contact our auto accident attorneys handling DUI accidents throughout all of South Carolina including the Anderson, Bamberg, Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Summerville and Spartanburg, S.C. areas. They offer free consultations and charge no fee unless they recover for you.
DUI Accident Statistics
- In 2012, there were 10,322 fatalities in crashes involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher, accounting for 31 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year.
- The 10,322 fatalities in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2012 represent an average of one alcohol-impaired driving fatality every 51 minutes.
- In 2012, a total of 1,168 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Of those, 1,168 fatalities, 239 (20%) occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
High Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
- Of the 10,322 people who died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2012, 6,688 (65%) were drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher. The remaining fatalities consisted of 2,824 (27%) motor vehicle occupants and 810 (8%) non-occupants.
- Another 38 children age 14 and younger who were killed in traffic crashes in 2012 were pedestrians or pedalcyclists who were struck by drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher.
- In 2012, 85 percent (9,678) of the 11,415 drivers with a BAC of .01 or higher who were involved in fatal crashes had BAC levels at or above .08, and 59 percent (6,730) had BAC levels at or above .15. The most frequently recorded BAC level among drinking drivers in fatal crashes was 0.16.
Hardcore Drunken Drivers
- In 2012, the percentage of drivers in fatal crashes with BAC levels .08 or greater was highest for drivers aged 21 to 24 (32%), followed by ages 25 to 34 (29%) and 35 to 44 (25%).
- Drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher involved in fatal crashes were seven times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired (DWI) than were drivers with no alcohol.
- About one-quarter of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol are repeat offenders.
- The risk of a driver who has one or more DWI convictions becoming involved in a fatal crash is about 1.4 times the risk of a driver with no DWI conviction.
Social Costs of Drunken Driving
Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life losses. People other than the drinking driver paid $71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill, which is 63 percent of the total cost of these crashes.
Drugged Driving
- According to the latest National Roadside Survey from NHTSA in 2007, more than one in seven weekend, nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter medication. More than one in ten tested positive for illicit drugs.
- The most common drugs found in nighttime drivers that tested positive for an illegal drug, were Marijuana, Cocaine and Methamphetamine.
- The 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that an estimated 10.3 million people ages 12 and older reported to driving under the influence of illicit drugs at least once during the prior year. The rate was the highest among young adults ages 18-25 (11.9%).
- Among those 12 and older, males (14.6%) were nearly twice as likely as females (7.9%) to drive under the influence of an illicit drug or alcohol in the past year.
Injuries Suffered In South Carolina DUI Accidents
Car accidents brought on by alcohol, prescription medications or street drugs inflict the same type of injuries that other auto accidents do. These can include minor injuries such as cuts and lacerations, serious injuries such as broken bones, severe head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, coma, paralysis and wrongful death. Please contact our Charleston South Carolina accident attorneys and let them analyze your claim free of charge. They will determine the full dollar amount of your claim and make any and all liable parties responsible for your injuries, pain, suffering and medical costs.
Contact A Columbia South Carolina Attorney Handling DUI Accidents
Do not wait another day to contact an experienced injury attorney regarding your case. After a serious accident such as a DUI accident it does not take long for the entire ordeal to become overwhelming. The negligent party will immediately begin guarding themselves from a legal standpoint and you need to do the same. Let our South Carolina DUI Accident Lawyers do everything necessary to get you the benefits and compensation you deserve under South Carolina law.