Texas Drunk Driving Accident Statistics

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, someone is killed in a Texas car wreck involving alcohol every 20 minutes. This statistic is especially tragic considering that drunk driving accidents are 100% preventable. Although it is illegal to drive with a BAC over .08%, careless people still do it all the time. The result is thousands of serious injuries and wrongful deaths that should never have occurred.

Consider the following statistics on drunk driving in Texas:

• According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Texas led the nation in drunk driving fatalities in 2013 with 1,337 deaths.
• That same year, there were 15,687 alcohol-related crash injuries and over 25,479 crashes total.
• In 2015, there were nearly 25,500 alcohol-related car crashes on Texas roads, resulting in 1,323 deaths and 15,687 injuries. Roughly 70% of the drunk drivers involved in those accidents were repeat DWI offenders and more than 70% of drivers had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) that were nearly twice the legal limit.
• In 2016, 46 people under the age of 18 were killed in drunk driving accidents, along with 149 passengers and 56 pedestrians and cyclists.

Other facts about drunk driving accidents:

• Most fatal Texas DWI accidents occur between the hours of 6:00 PM and 4:00 AM.
• Fatal accidents are most likely to occur on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Drunk driving costs Texas approximately $6 billion every year.
• Almost 40% of fatal car crashes involve a drunk driver.

Dram Shop Liability in Texas

Sometimes, drunk drivers are not the only ones who can be held liable for an accident. Other entities, like bar or liquor store owners, restaurant owners, or an event organizer can share liability if they continued to serve alcohol to an obviously intoxicated individual. This is called “dram shop liability.” If our investigation of your accident finds that dram shop liability applies to your case, we can help you prosecute the liquor establishment that may have overserved an already intoxicated person.

You Have Rights. Let The Stewart Law Firm, PLLC Protect Them.

If you have been injured in an accident with a drunk driver in the state of Texas, you should seek legal counsel immediately. Drunk drivers face more than just criminal liability – they can be held civilly liable as well. The law allows for drunk driving victims to seek compensation for their damages, which may include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, or in the case of the wrongful death of a loved one, funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support and companionship, and more.

At The Stewart Law Firm, PLLC, we are here to help you pursue justice if a drunk driver has injured you or a loved one. When we take on a case, we investigate every aspect and fully commit ourselves to helping you seek compensation for your losses. Because we work on a contingency fee basis, we do not charge fees unless we win your case.