Driving in West Virginia can be a personal challenge in many situations. The geographical features of the state can be intimidating alone, and it gets even more challenging when having to deal with drivers on the road who have little regard for others. However, there are few motorists on highways as dangerous as drunk drivers. Accidents involving drunk drivers consistently result in fatalities within the state, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the supporting statistics are alarming.
Danger by the numbers
A publication by the NHTSA has revealed that drunk drivers aged 21 to 34 are involved in nearly 25% of all fatal motor vehicle accidents across the nation. Additionally, the same age group is involved in approximately 1/3 of all accidents combined. It is estimated that 28 die per day on America’s highways with more than 10,000 deaths occurring annually due to impaired driving.
West Virginia accident statistics
In some respects, West Virginia is at the bottom of the list when it comes to the percentage of accidents involving drinking drivers. The lowest number recorded by the study per state was 24%, which is exactly where West Virginia was listed along with several other states of similar size. However, this is not an acceptable rate for any law enforcement officials. The NHTSA study is clear evidence that drunk driving indeed leads to many motor vehicle accidents across the nation, and stopping the practice is a priority in every state law enforcement agency. This assuredly includes West Virginia.
All motorists should be very conscious about the dangers of driving under the influence. This is especially true for those under 21 years of age and commercial truck drivers who are handling heavy cargoes while in transit.
