Drunk driving deaths rise in North Carolina in 2018

North Carolina residents have for many years now heard a lot about the dangers of drunk driving. Over the last couple of decades, efforts by groups like Students Against Drunk Driving, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, law enforcement agencies and more have tried to get the message across that people should put away their keys if they are going to consume alcohol. Unfortunately, there seem to remain too many drivers who refuse to listen to these messages. Instead, they put their immediate wishes ahead of the safety of others.

According to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the state of North Carolina saw the number of drunk driving fatalities increase in 2018 over 2017. In 2017, there were 401 vehicular deaths attributed to alcohol but in 2018, the state recorded 421 such fatalities, nearly as many as the 428 in 2016. Those 2016 deaths represented a big jump from the 389 in 2015 and the 363 in 2014.

In looking at Buncombe County, the problem there is significantly greater than in any of its neighboring counties. Between 2014 and 2018, the county experienced 40 drunk driving fatalities. The county with the closest number of alcohol-related auto deaths was Henderson. There, 13 people lost their lives at the hands of drunk drivers over that same five-year period.

If you would like to learn more about the importance of seeking compensation after you or someone in your family has been involved in a crash caused by an intoxicated driver, please feel free to visit the drunk driving assistance page of our North Carolina motor vehicle accident and personal injury website.