Drunk Drivers in Harris County
Houston has an epidemic of drunk driving. Over the past fifteen years, Houston had the highest number of fatal car crashes caused by alcohol or drugs when compared with the twelve largest metropolitan areas. Houston had 50% more fatal crashes involving drugs and alcohol than Los Angeles even though Los Angeles has approximately twice as many people.
Every year, approximately 300 people die in car wrecks caused by impaired drivers. Over 5,000 car accidents occur each year with intoxicated drivers. Texas is the worst state for motor vehicle crashes caused by drunk drivers. Harris County is the worst of the worst. Part of the problem is that not enough resources have been dedicated to catching drunk drivers. In addition, little supervision or resources are dedicated to counseling drunk drivers after they serve prison sentences.
How to Not be A Victim
There are several things drivers can do to reduce the likelihood of injury from a drunk driver on the road.
1. Wear a seatbelt
A seatbelt greatly reduces the risk of a car accident causing a fatal injury. Wear a seatbelt and require all of your passengers to wear seatbelts. A person not wearing a seatbelt is ten times more likely to suffer a major injury than someone who is buckled.
2. Maintain a safe following distance
Keeping a greater distance between cars gives you a longer period of time to react to the driver in front of you. If the driver in front of you slams on his brakes or behaves erratically, you have more time to avoid a collision with extra space. In addition, you are less likely to be pushed into the car in front of you if you are rear-ended.
3. Avoid driving late at night
Over seventy-five percent of fatal crashes with drunk drivers occur at night. The greatest percentage of drunk drivers are on the road between midnight and 3 a.m. Avoid driving late at night in order to reduce the risk of coming across the path of an inebriated driver.
4. Be a designated driver
Volunteer to be a designated driver. You will reduce the risk of an accident for yourself and your friends. Take turns with your friends serving as designated drivers, so no one makes a poor decision to drive after having too many drinks.
5. Use extra caution at intersections
Forty percent of car accidents occur at intersections. Sober people at times make mistakes at intersections, so drunk drivers are even more likely to make a mistake at an intersection. Decrease your risk of an accident by driving defensively at intersections.
6. Use extra caution at holidays
People celebrate during the holidays, and many people celebrate with alcohol. Crashes involving drunk driving increase drastically around major holidays. There is a 34% increase in total crashes during the holidays. There is a 38% increase in automobile crash-related fatalities during the holidays. New Year and Thanksgiving have the largest increases in drunk driving. Use extra caution during holidays because the percentage of drivers on the road who are inebriated increases significantly around the holidays.
O’Hara Law Firm Experience Handling Drunk Driver Cases
The O’Hara Law Firm has represented many clients injured by intoxicated drivers. This month, the O’Hara Law Firm resolved a case on behalf of a woman who was rear-ended by a drunk driver while a passenger in a ride-share vehicle. The woman was traveling to an airport when the car accident occurred. The drunk driver was fleeing from another accident that he caused when he collided with the rideshare vehicle. The drunk driver attempted to flee the second accident scene as well, but he was stopped by a witness before he could escape.
The drunk driver had a blood alcohol level that was over twice the legal limit. The drunk driver was arrested at the scene of the crash. The drunk driver had a history of drinking and driving and was uninsured at the time of the crash. The injured woman filed an uninsured motorist claim with the insurance provider for the rideshare driver because the drunk driver did not have insurance. Negotiations were unsuccessful pre-suit, so the woman filed a lawsuit against the insurance company. Eventually, the case was resolved before proceeding to trial.
Sadly, people are injured every day in Houston by drunk drivers. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle collision with a drunk driver, contact The O’Hara Law Firm for a free consultation. Patrick O’Hara is a drunk driver accident attorney that handles motor vehicle collision cases in Houston and surrounding areas. The O’Hara Law Firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. Call us at 832-956-1138.