Report Shows Binge Drinking Is Widespread; Kentucky Residents Urged to Stop Drinking and Driving

Our Kentucky car accident attorneys have reported on the continuing efforts of the Kentucky State Police (KSP) to stop drunk drivers from harming themselves or others on our highways. The holiday season, when the KSP supported the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, is over, but Kentucky law enforcement’s job is not. With the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reporting that “binge drinking is a bigger problem than previously thought,” it is likely that efforts to stop drunk driving will be an ongoing battle. 

In fact, the NHTSA has just kicked off its latest impaired driving prevention campaign, which targets football fans and runs until Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 6, 2012. Called “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,” the campaign pairs the NHTSA with the National Football League and tells fans that using a designated driver for the games “will be the correct play call for a sure win.” 

Football games and other sporting events are common occasions for friends to get together and drink alcohol while cheering on their favorite team. Unfortunately, these types of events can lead some people to consume more alcohol than they can safely handle. 

The CDC surveyed more than 450,000 American adults and found some startling facts about drinking in the United States, including: 

• One-in-six U.S. adults, or 38 million Americans, binge drinks about four times a month, and on average the largest number of drinks consumed is eight.
• Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes more than 80,000 deaths in the United States each year.
• Binge drinking is more common among young adults aged 18–34 years, but binge drinkers 65 and older binge drink more often — an average of five to six times a month.
• Drinking too much contributes to more than 54 different injuries and diseases, including car crashes and violence. 

Perhaps the most eye-opening finding is that these drinkers are taking to the highways. According to the CDC, “most alcohol-impaired drivers binge drink.” 

The NHTSA reports in its 2010 State Motor Vehicle Fatalities statistics that there were 10,228 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities nationwide in 2010. These accidents account for 31 percent of overall traffic fatalities. Statewide, Kentucky saw 717 traffic fatalities in 2011. Of those, 122 were alcohol-related traffic fatalities. While these numbers continue to decline each year — in 2010 there were 171 alcohol-related traffic deaths in Kentucky — drunk drivers remain a real threat to Kentucky residents. 

Our Lexington vehicle accident lawyers cannot say it too many times: “please don’t drink and drive.” If you have been out drinking please make sure that you have a safe ride home, and stay where you are until someone can come get you.