While the DUI fatality rate has decreased nationwide, it has increased in Texas, causing many to find ways of reducing the number of drunk drivers.

When people make the decision to drink and drive, they put the lives of innocent Texas motorists in danger. In some cases, drunk drivers may endanger their own lives and those of family members. A woman in Irving was drinking and driving with four of her children in the vehicle. According to CBS News, the woman’s blood alcohol content level was 0.18 percent at the time of the incident. The 30-year-old woman ultimately crashed into two parked cars, and took the lives of two of her children. The other two children received injuries, but survived the accident. Although it is unknown as to whether this was the woman’s first time drinking and driving, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that drunk drivers may get behind the wheel up to 80 times before they are caught.

The facts

The number of people injured in drunk driving accidents decreased from 345,000 in 2012 to 290,000 in 2013, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The nation’s drunk driving fatality rate also decreased from 10,322 deaths in 2012 to 10,076 deaths in 2013. Yet, Texas’s DUI death rate increased by 3.6 percent during this one year time period. In fact, 1,337 people in Texas were killed in drunk driving auto accidents in 2013, accounting for 39.5 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities in the state.

Looking for answers: Ignition interlock devices

In an attempt to decrease the number of drunk drivers on the road, many states have enacted legislation requiring all convicted drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock device on their vehicles. According to MADD, ignition interlock devices are effective at reducing the rate of repeat drunk drivers, as up to 75 percent of convicted DUI offenders continue to drive with a suspended driver’s license.

Ignition interlock devices prevent DUI offenders from driving if they have a BAC level that measures over the preset amount, which is 0.02 percent in most states. Studies by the CDC indicate that these devices reduce the rate of repeat drunk drivers by 67 percent. States, including Arizona, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico and Louisiana, have seen a dramatic decrease in the DUI fatality rate after enforcing mandatory IID use for all convicted drunk driving offenders.

Find an attorney

Drunk drivers who cause devastating car accidents should be held accountable for their actions. Whether you received catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one as a result of a drunk driving accident, a Texas attorney may help you get the compensation you deserve for your case.

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