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Drunk Driving Accidents Plague Florida Highways

You may take responsibility when you drink, by avoiding getting behind the wheel when you have consumed one too many alcoholic beverages. You know when to call a cab or have a friend drive you home. Even though you take precautions, it is usually the actions of “the other guy” that you have to worry about. Drunk drivers cause too many accidents each year. Countless lives are lost from drunk driving crashes.

In Florida, thousands are injured and many more are killed every year in these types of collisions. One story illustrates the dangers associated with driving under the influence. In the summer of 2009, a driver who tested positive for cocaine, killed an elderly pedestrian. This St. Cloud DUI accident is a tragic example of the dangers of impaired driving.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is an organization with the proclaimed mission, “to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.” As a way to bring awareness to the seriousness of driving under the influence, MADD has devoted an entire page on its website to drunk driving statistics. The data contained on this page is unnerving. Below is a summary of some of the key facts MADD has collected:

• About one-third of all drivers who are arrested or convicted of DWI or DUI are repeat offenders.
• An estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving accidents in 2008.
• On average, someone dies in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes.
• Only 17 percent of impaired drivers who are injured in collisions are charged and convicted.
  

If you have been injured in an Orlando car accident caused by a drunk driver, you do have rights and can hold the driver accountable for his or her negligent actions. Contact an experienced Orlando auto accident lawyer at the Francis Law Group today at (407) 363-9939 or toll free (888) 521-2721 for legal advice.