Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which is commonly known as MADD, helps to ensure that people understand how big of an issue drunk driving can be by spreading the word regarding statistics and updates to the law. This information can shed light on what the DUI scene looks like in Virginia and what the lawmakers are doing about it in an attempt to prevent accidents.
First of all, it should be noted that there were 211 deaths in 2012 — the latest year for which they have posted information — that were linked to drunk drivers. Not only did this account for about 27 percent of all of the traffic fatalities in the state, but it was also 7.5 percent higher than the total from 2011.
There were far more injuries that were traced back to alcohol, coming in with a total of 5,861. This came from 8,777 total car accidents where alcohol was involved. For those numbers, though, it is important to note that a BAC of 0.01 or higher was used, though that is less than the legal limit of .08.
The total number of DUI arrests was not provided, but there were 28,719 convictions for driving under the influence.
To help fight back against this, lawmakers decided to pass a law in 2012 saying that those who had been convicted in DUI cases needed to use ignition interlock systems on their vehicles. Virginia now joins 16 other states that have similar laws.
Individuals who have been hurt in car accidents that were caused by drunk drivers need to know what rights they have to compensation, especially if they have a lot of medical debt due to the cost of treatment.
Source: MADD, “Drunk Driving: Virginia” Sep. 26, 2014