Many Colorado residents may be surprised to learn that Denver is considered the worst city for drunk driving auto accidents. Is it really that bad? Unfortunately, yes. Denver had the highest rate of fatal car accidents that involved a drunk driving, with 54.2 percent of all fatal car accidents in the state involving intoxication, according to a report by The Atlantic that analyzed fatal car accidents between 2001 and 2010 in the 25 most populated cities in the U.S. Denver was the only major city that had more than half of their fatal car accidents caused by drunk driving.Drunk driving is very dangerous and remains a threat to everyone on Colorado’s roads. In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in drunk driving car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drunk driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of all fatal car accidents in 2010. In Colorado, 127 alcohol impaired driving fatalities were reported in 2010.
Despite state laws prohibiting intoxicated individuals from driving, drunk driving accidents are still happening. The NHTSA says that sobriety checkpoints and ignition interlock requirements can help prevent future drunk driving accidents from occurring.
Safety advocates say that several measures can be taken to reduce and prevent drunk driving car accidents. Some of the safety measures that advocates call for are more enforcement of current drunk driving laws, use more sobriety checkpoints, revoke driver’s licenses from people convicted of drunk driving and require substance abuse testing and treatment for certain DWI offenders.
Everyone knows that dangers of drunk driving. It is important for people to take the proper steps to prevent drunk driving, which includes designating a sober driver when a group of people are drinking, not letting others drive drunk and be aware of the signs that someone is driving drunk to keep yourself and others safe.
Source: The Fix, “Which US Cities Have the Most Drunk Driving?” Sarah Beller, Jan. 7, 2013
