How many drunk drivers continue to claim lives in North Carolina?

If you are one of the many licensed drivers in North Carolina, you know that the state has very strict laws against drinking and driving. From the loss of driving privileges to the potential for spending time in jail and more, the penalties associated with a drunk driving conviction can be significant. Unfortunately, it seems that even these tough laws and the facts about how dangerous drunk driving is are not enough to keep people from making negligent choices. 

According to records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the state of North Carolina has seen an increase in the number of people killed at the hands of drunk drivers. In 2009, the state recorded 358 drunk driving fatalities. These deaths represented just over 27% of all accident fatalities in the state that year. In 2018, there were 421 people killed in drunk driving accidents in North Carolina, representing 29% of all vehicular deaths that year. 

In the five years spanning from 2014 through 2018, alcohol was a contributing factor in 28% to 30% of all deaths in motor vehicle accidents in North Carolina. The 421 people killed by intoxicated drivers in 2018 represented a jump of 20 from the 401 alcohol-related automobile deaths in 2017. 

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give residents in North Carolina an overview of how many lives are lost each year at the hands of drunk drivers so they understand the importance of taking action against this senseless and reckless behavior to continue raising awareness about the need for change.