A new study from a consumer research group shows that South Carolina ranks #3 in the country for fatal drunk driving crashes.
Data from the website ValuePenguin.com shows that even though it has less than half the population of North Carolina, drunk driving deaths are almost as numerous as its northern neighbor. Research shows that South Carolina currently has 6.59 DUI deaths for every 100,000 residents.
Montana is tops on the list, while North Dakota is second. Other data from the website shows that 1/3 of traffic deaths involve drunk drivers. Also, there is one alcohol related death every 50 minutes in the United States. Approximately 12 in 100,000 died in drunk driving crashes last year, and 28% of thes deaths involved a drunk driver.
Our View
As North Carolina and Virginia personal injury attorneys, we are concerned that there are still so drunk driving accidents in North Carolina. Even though there are much harsher drunk driving laws today than years ago, as well as stricter police enforcement, 2016 was still one of the deadliest years ever for DUI deaths. The CDC reports there are 30 people killed in drunk driving crashes every day.
The financial costs of this carnage are huge. The NHTSA states every time a person dies in a drunk driving crash, there is a $3.5 million cost. The quality of life portion is $2.4 million and the financial cost portion is $1.1 million.
For the drunk driving victim who survives, the national average cost is nearly $100,000, with the quality of life loss at $50,000 and financial costs at $49,000. But it is important to remember these are just national averages. Our personal injury and drunk driving law firm have represented many drunk driving crash victims over the years who received more compensation.
