People mistakenly believe that getting arrested for DWI is the worst thing that can happen following a drunk driving arrest. Far worse, of course, is the death of the drunk driver. Other passengers and other drivers are also in line for death or serious bodily injury following a car crash with a drink diver. The Texas Department of Transportation tracks DWI fatalities and has created a profile of the dead drunk driver who are involved in a car crash and die at the scene of the accident or shortly thereafter.
Counting the Dead
Close to half of all drivers killed in car crashes in Texas last year contained a blood alcohol content level (BAC) of .001% or higher. Intoxication for driving purposes occurs when the BAC reads .008% or higher. The breakdown of last year’s DWI fatalities are as follows:
- A little over 38% of fatally injured drivers tested .008% or higher BAC level; and
- 7.34% of the fatally injured drivers tested between .001 and .079% BAC level.
More than four out of 10 car crash fatalities in Texas take the life of the drunk driver.
Age of the Dead Drunk Driver
The age group with the most drunk driving fatalities is 23. The 23 year olds are followed by people who are 30 and 24 years of age.
The Witching Hour
The deadliest hour to drive drunk is between 2 AM and 2:59 AM on Sundays across the whole of Texas. 12% of all drunk driving fatalities occur between 2 AM and 2:59 AM. Sunday is the deadliest day of the week.
Stay Safe in the Summer
Certain months are deadlier than others. June is the deadliest month of the year for drunk drivers with close to 10% of all DWI-related car crash fatalities occurring in that month. May and March are the second and third deadliest months of the year. These three months combined account for close to a third of all of the drunk driving fatalities for the year.
Where the Drunk Drivers Live
The counties of Harris, Dallas, and Bexar have the highest fatality rate in Texas for drunk drivers.
Conclusion
Half the people who die following a car crash had alcohol in their system at the time of the crash. DWI accidents affect people who live in Harris, Dallas, and Bexar counties the most. The dead include more people who are 23, 24, and 30. Lastly, Sundays between 2:00 AM and 2:59 AM are the most dangerous for drunk drivers, particularly in the months of March, May, and June.
Contact a DWI Defense Attorney Today
At The Law Office of Kimberly Griffin Tucker, P.C., we represent people in criminal DWI proceedings and at the civil administrative ALR hearings, primarily in the city of Plano and the surrounding counties in Texas. If you or someone you know has been arrested for DWI, contact us for a detailed case evaluation.