According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,597 people were killed in United States traffic accidents in December 2010. Of those, 775 deaths involved alcohol-impaired drivers.
Georgia's Driving Under the Influence Laws are complex. Georgia DUI injury attorney Shane Smith can sort through the intermingled laws that potentially create complications in a DUI case.
According to a recent NHTSA study, drunk driving fatalities have decreased in the past decade but almost 12,000 people are killed annually in DUI accidents. This accounts for over 30 percent of all traffic fatalities. The data indicates that someone is killed in a DUI accident approximately every 45 minutes. DUI accidents cost the public approximately $114 billion annually.
Georgia's data is also dramatic. Approximately 400 people die in Georgia DUI accidents in a typical year, accounting for 28 percent of all auto fatalities.
In Georgia, a driver can be charged with a DUI if he has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher; the BAC threshold for drivers under 21 is 0.02 percent. Georgia law permits negligence claims against drunk drivers who cause catastrophic injuries or fatalities and the recovery of punitive damages.
If you have questions about Georgia DUI laws, get the answers in Clayton County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith's book, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? Contact Shane Smith Law to schedule a free legal consultation.