Texas leads the nation in alcohol-related traffic crashes. And our Houston auto accident lawyers have pointed out before that the Houston area communities of Harris County lead the state of Texas in alcohol-related deaths. Our neighboring Montgomery and Liberty Counties also have high numbers of fatal DUI accidents for their size.
Maybe someone should examine what it is about life in Texas and in the Houston area in particular that makes folks want to drink and drive. Or just drink.
Everyone knows that drinking and driving can be fatal. And it’s not just the risk of crashing your own vehicle that could kill you. Let’s not forget the recent incident in Alvin, Texas where a driver crashed into the back of a vehicle being pushed by a dad and his two young boys, fatally injuring all three of them. Someone then shot that driver in the head execution style while he was still inside his vehicle.
The Sobering Total on Texas DUI Fatalities in 2011
TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) data shows that there were 1,523 fatal accidents in Texas in 2011. 502 of those fatal wrecks were alcohol-related. Those 502 fatal DUI accidents killed 570 people. That’s a full third of Texas traffic fatalities. The DUI wrecks also seriously injured 3,869 people and caused other injuries in an additional 1,941 victims.
Texas DUI Fatality Numbers Spike during the Holidays
Alcohol reduces our inhibitions and our level of caution, often precipitously. Studies show that just a little alcohol reduces your ability to make rational decisions. By drinking, you become less capable of making the wise decision to not get behind the wheel turning your vehicle into a deadly weapon.
Our Houston auto accident lawyers note that few people are willing to risk tangling with an unpredictable drunk to prevent them from drinking and driving. This is true even where potential liability exists on the part of the alcohol server if that person crashes.
In 2011, Texas saw the largest number of fatal DUI accidents on the July 4th weekend, with 36 wrecks causing 47 deaths. Memorial Day presents the second highest number of fatal crashes with 33 that killed 37 people. New Year’s was next with 30 and 32, followed by Thanksgiving, Labor Day, and Christmas. You can see a complete breakdown on the fatal accident numbers in the table linked to this post. Our scan of recent news articles indicates that 2012 has already surpassed last year’s Christmas and New Year’s DUI death toll.
We Can’t Say It Enough: Don’t Drink and Drive
Seriously: our Houston auto accident lawyers emphasize that the life you save could be your own. It makes no sense to celebrate the New Year on New Year’s Eve and then miss out on the New Year itself because you crashed.
Learn More about the Fatal Texas DUI Accident Spike during the 2012 Holiday Period
Click on this article by our Houston auto accident lawyers to learn about the spikes in DUI accident fatalities throughout the state.
If you’re injured in a holiday accident, don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE, no obligation legal consultation to discuss and evaluate your case. We’re available at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form.