• 27
  • June
    2011

When news about Ryan Dunn's fatal drunk driving accident in Pennsylvania was released last week, many people were shocked. At the bar where he was drinking, several patrons and bartenders stated that he did not appear drunk, and the general manager was shocked when he learned how many drinks Dunn consumed.

His accident was also highlighted in a recent study that was published in TIME magazine. The article focused on the dangers of drinking and driving, regardless of how many drinks were consumed.

In Bensalem, an individual may be arrested for drunk driving is his or her BAC is over .08. However, if your BAC is lower than .08, you could still be arrested for other traffic violations.

According to the study, drivers who consumed even one drink before getting behind the wheel were more likely to get in car accidents than drivers who were sober. In addition, accidents that were caused by people who had one drink were typically more severe than accidents that were caused by sober drivers.

The actual statistics behind their findings are alarming. Car accidents that involved drivers whose BAC was .01 resulted in 4.33 severe injuries for each minor injury. Comparatively, with sober drivers, there were 3.17 severe injuries for each minor injury.

According to the report, there are three main things that cause drivers who have been drinking to have more severe accidents than sober drivers. They are more likely to speed. They are less likely to wear a seat belt. And they are more likely to be the "striking vehicle." Regardless of whether a driver is drunk, any of those things could lead to a traffic ticket.

Source: TIME, "Driving While Buzzed: No Amount of Alcohol Is Safe Behind the Wheel," Meredith Melnick, 22 June 2011