Drunk driving accidents have been a problem since the invention of the car, but they have generally gotten to be less common over time. Enforcement and technology have played a role in this. That’s why it’s so concerning to see that the rate of fatal drunk driving accidents in Kentucky has been dramatically climbing.
Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released statistics that they had compiled. These showed that Kentucky had the seventh-highest increase in the entire country, when looking at the year-to-year change. Essentially, drunk driving driving accidents are getting to be more common in many parts of the country, but they rose at a notably higher rate in Kentucky than they did in most other states.
The specific numbers
If you’re interested in the exact numbers, there were 151 drunk driving fatalities in 2019. The numbers for 2020, which is what the government was studying when compiling this report, came in at 199. That means that the number of fatal DUI crashes went up by 31.8% in Kentucky, whereas the number only went up by 14.3% when you look at the national average. Any level of increase is cause for concern, but especially a trend that is so drastic and something of an outlier.
Miles traveled were down
Another thing that is concerning is that you can look at the average miles traveled in 2020 and, due to many businesses being closed, it dropped by a full 11% in 2020. Even so, the rate of fatalities on the roads went up. Drunk driving was just one of the reasons that has been noted, along with speeding on roads that didn’t have the same levels of traffic congestion that they previously carried. This is such a worrying trend because it was expected that fatalities would drop when there was less traffic, and they moved in the opposite direction.
What are your options?
Have you been seriously injured in an accident or lost a loved one? Make sure you know what legal options you have to seek financial compensation.
