“In Texas, someone is hurt or killed in an alcohol-related crash every 19 minutes, and drunk driving claims five lives every day.”
Drunk driving is a violent and deadly crime that happens far too often in our nation today. In the United States, crimes involving drunk driving actually happen more than any other type of crime. Texas sits at the top of the list, second only to California, for traffic deaths that involve the abuse of alcohol. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2004 in Texas, 1,642 motorists were killed in alcohol related accidents. What may be more disturbing than this however, is the age of the drivers being caught drinking and driving. According to a report in 2004 by the Department of Public Safety, of the 98,349 arrests made for drunk driving in Texas, 303 of these arrests were young children between the ages of nine and sixteen years old. Oh, but it doesn’t end there. Additionally, 9,285 minors between the ages of 17 and 20 were arrested for driving under the influence. The legal age to buy and drink alcohol in Texas is 21, and this data shows that under-aged minors committed 11% of the total amount of drunk driving offenses. This data may not be so surprising to some especially with the large number of colleges in Texas. Underage drinking is huge among college campuses all over the country and with very limited supervision by parents, dorm resident advisors, and other friends it is becoming increasingly easier to obtain and abuse alcohol. Although it is practically impossible to completely demolish drunk driving from our nation, it is possible to stop yourself or someone you love from driving under the influence and abusing alcohol. Drug rehab and alcohol treatment centers such as The Right Step, located in Houston, Texas are specially trained to help those with substance abuse problems. Experts believe that in Texas, 70 residents will be injured or killed from an alcohol-related crash. Don’t become another number to add to this statistic. If you or someone you know has a substance abuse problem, get help. It could save their lives. For more information about drug and alcohol treatment, please visit The Right Step today!