One of the biggest problems in America today is drunk driving, but how bad is the DUI problem in the state of Colorado?

Figures released by BackgroundChecks.org, indicate more than 10,000 people were killed nationwide in 2015, and more than 200,000 injured as a result of drunk driving. They  created a ranking of states based on fatalities, DUI arrests per capita, and how much people reported that they drank before driving.

In ranking the states from worst to first, Colorado ranks #21 in the nation. In other words, we are in the bottom half of the country. In 2015, there were 151 deaths in the state attributed to drunk driving. Sure it's a much larger state, but, by comparison, in Texas more than 1300 people lost their lives because of impaired drivers.

By contrast, our neighbor to the north, Wyoming ranks worst in the nation for drunk driving. Close behind are three other nearby states South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana.

The best three states in the country are New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois, while Colorado neighbors Kansas and Utah both rank in the top 10.

I tend to write about drunk driving quite a bit - because it is a huge problem not only in our state but across the country. It feels like too many people do not take it seriously. So many deaths and so much heartache is preventable, yet, we continue down the path of death and grief.

Look at these stats from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving):

  • Every two minutes a person is injured in a drunk driving accident.
  • Every day in America, 27 people die as a result of drunk driving. That's more than one ever hour of every day.
  • In 2013, 28.3 million admitted to driving under the influence
  • An average drunk driver, has driven impaired 80 times before his first arrest

Where does it end? When does it end?  Wake up, Colorado! Stop drinking and driving!

 

 

 

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