Drunk driving dangers abound in Missouri

Missouri residents face ever-constant dangers due to drunk drivers. As spring break season nears, extra caution is urged.

Spring break season is in full swing in Missouri and around the nation. The dangers associated with excessive drinking are not limited to Cancun or other resort locations. Residents in St. Peters and the surrounding areas should be highly aware of the risks posed to them every day. A car accident caused by the negligence of a drunk driver can happen at any time, anywhere. CBS St. Louis reported recently that there is a movement to make it a felony for an adult to provide alcohol to a minor. This could be one method of reducing drunk driving risks during spring break times. Mothers Against Drunk Driving notes that alcohol use among teenagers impact up to 4,700 fatalities each year.

What are the statistics for drunk driving deaths?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains records for traffic accidents, including those that result in death or serious injury. In 2013, Missouri experienced a total of 757 vehicular fatalities. Of those, 248 were attributed to the presence of alcohol. Data by county, including St. Charles County, includes the following:

Jackson County experienced the highest number of drunk driving deaths in the state with 29 fatalities.
St. Louis City and St. Louis County lost 18 and 16 lives to drunk drivers, respectively.
Johnson County was the site of 10 such deaths while Jefferson County lost another nine lives.
In Miller and Franklin Counties, eight people died at the hands of drunk drivers.
In Cass and Washington Counties, seven drunk driving fatalities took place.

St. Charles County experienced 16 total vehicular fatalities that year. Of those six were impacted by alcohol. The Century Council notes that 71 percent of Missouri’s 280 drunk driving deaths in 2012 were caused by drivers with excessively high levels of alcohol in their blood.

Current events in Missouri

Holiday DUI checkpoints are not new yet they continue to be effective and point to the continued risks that drunk drivers pose to innocent victims. A St. Patrick’s Day checkpoint in Kansas City resulted in 25 drunk driving arrests in a six-hour time period starting at 9:00 p.m. on March 17 according to Fox4KC.com. From St. Patrick’s Day to spring break and beyond, drunk driving is nothing to be taken lightly. Lives can be dramatically impacted and even lost when a single person makes the choice to operate a vehicle after drinking too much. Victims are urged to seek legal help after these crashes happen.