Drinking And Driving Don’t Mix In Pennsylvania

Anyone who is under the influence of either alcohol or drugs presents a hazard to themselves and other drivers on the road. Many drivers believe that one or two drinks won't affect their driving ability, but studies have shown that even drivers with a small amount of alcohol in their system are between two and seven times more likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers who have not been drinking.

If you have been injured by a drunk driver in Pennsylvania, contact our office to learn your legal rights and options. Call the Munley, Munley & Cartwright law firm from anywhere in the United States toll free at 877-421-9173 for a free consultation or contact us online.

Alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and even some over-the-counter medications can negatively affect your vision, reaction time, coordination and concentration -- and that combination can be dangerous or deadly when you're operating a car. If you are a driver under the age of 21 and your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .02 or more, you are considered to be driving under the influence.

A standard alcoholic drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol. That is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of a liquor drink combined with a mixer or consumed straight. When drinking, keep in mind, that “a drink is a drink” regardless of the type of alcohol.  Alcohol will affect everyone differently based on the food that has been eaten during the day, other medications in the system, body weight and physical factors such as fatigue.

Typical drunk driving behavior includes:

• Driving without using headlights
• Swerving, weaving and straddling the center line or lane marker
• Inability to maintain speed – driving too fast or too slow
• Making wide turns or turning abruptly or illegally
• Following other cars too closely.

Drinking and driving is a top safety issue in Pennsylvania and across the United States. Consider these statistics:

• In 2008, 11,773 people were killed nationally in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. These alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities accounted for 32 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States.
• The 11,773 fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes during 2008 represent an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 45 minutes.
• In the state of Pennsylvania, 25 percent of the fatal accidents were caused by drivers with a BAC level of almost double the state's limit of .08 percent.
• About 34 percent of the 1,468 vehicle fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2008 involved a driver with a BAC at the legal limit of .08 percent.
• Alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents were over three times more likely to result in death than those not related to alcohol.
• On average each day, 37 alcohol-related traffic crashes occurred.

Contact Us for Your Legal Needs

If you or a loved one has been injured by another motorist in a drunk driving automobile accident and need knowledgeable legal help, please contact the PA car accident attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C. by calling 877-421-9173, or contact us online. For more information about our lawyers and law firm, we invite you to visit www.munley.com.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2008 Traffic Safety Facts.