Alcohol plays a major role in our society, which is understandable since people have been drinking alcoholic beverages for thousands of years. Before we had automobiles, drinking wasn't considered that dangerous but once people started drinking and driving, we soon learned just how much alcohol affects our motor skills.

As more people were injured and killed in alcohol-related crashes, state legislatures began to take notice and eventually each state passed anti-drinking and driving laws. Today, it's illegal in all states for drivers age 21 and older to drive a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or more.

BAC Laws are Stricter for Certain Drivers

The laws are even stricter for commercial drivers and people who are under the age of 21. In all states, it's illegal for commercial drivers to drive with a BAC of .04% or more. Thanks to zero tolerance laws, drivers under 21 cannot drive with a BAC of .01% or .02% depending on the state.

Even though each state has criminalized drunk driving, people still do it every day. According to statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD):

• Up to 75 percent of convicted drunk drivers still drive, even though their driver's license has been suspended for DUI/DWI.
• Every two minutes in the U.S., someone is killed in a drunk driving accident.
• Two out of three people will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in their lifetime.
• In 2013 alone, 28.7 people said that they had driven under the influence of alcohol.
• People between the ages 26 and 29 drive under the influence more than any other age group.
• In the U.S., 27 people die every day because of drunk driving crashes.
• The average drunk driver has driven under the influence of alcohol a total of 80 times before their first DUI arrest.
• In 2014, nearly 10,000 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes and another 290,000 were injured.

Despite the fact that Americans are taught that driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is dangerous, people continue to drive under the influence and put others' lives at risk. That said, drunk driving victims have every right to seek compensation for their losses.

If you were injured by a drunk or drugged driver, we urge you to contact a car accident attorney to file a claim for the compensation you deserve.