Startling Statistics!

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. James Fountain
  • 17th Training Wing Safety Office
Week two of this year's Critical Days of Summer campaign is titled "Stone Cold Sober" and focuses on drinking and driving prevention.

Here are some bullets showing statistics in relation to intoxicated driving from cdc.gov:

· Every day, almost 30 people in the U.S. die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes.

· The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion.

· In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third, or 31 percent, of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.

· In 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That's one percent of the 112 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.

· Among drivers with blood alcohol content levels of 0.08 percent or higher involved in fatal crashes in 2010, more than one out of every three were between 21 and 24 years of age. The next two largest groups were ages 25 to 34 and 35 to 44.

Do you consider alcohol necessary to having a good time? Even if this is what you think, you must be prepared with a plan to prevent a mishap. What does that mean? It means not only having the plan, but knowing it is your responsibility to follow through with the plan. Use a designated driver; sleep over at a friend's house; call a taxi or simply don't drink.

Resources are also there during times when a plan goes wrong. Airmen Against Drunk Driving volunteers are available to pick military up on Friday, Saturday and holiday nights from 10 p.m to 3 a.m. To contact AADD call 325-654-2233. In addition, to reach a first sergeant call 325-654-2273.