Drunk Driving Victimization

What are the
? Fatally injured drivers with BAC levels of
facts about
0.10 g/dl or greater were six times more
likely to have a prior conviction for driving
drunk driving?
while intoxicated than fatally injured sober
drivers (12 percent and 2 percent, respective-
? About 3 in every 10
ly). (Traffic Safety Facts 1999. Washington,
Americans will be involved
DC: National Highway Traffic Safety
in an alcohol-related crash at
Administration, 2000)
some time in their lives. (Traffic
Safety Facts 1999. Washington, DC:
National Highway Traffic Safety
Resources for Information
Administration, 2000)
and Assistance
? In 1999, 15,786 people were killed in
alcohol-related crashes, representing an
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Drunk
average of one alcohol-related fatality every
1–800–GET–MADD or 1–800–438–6233
33 minutes. An estimated 308,000 people
www.madd.org
were injured in alcohol-related crashes.
Driving
(Traffic Safety Facts 1999. Washington, DC:
National Center for Victims of Crime
National Highway Traffic Safety
1–800–FYI–CALL or 1–800–394–2255
Administration, 2000)
www.ncvc.org
Victimization
? In 1999, 30 percent of all traffic fatalities
National Organization for Victim Assistance
occurred in crashes in which at least one
1–800–TRY–NOVA or 1–800–879–6682
driver or nonoccupant, such as a pedestrian
www.try-nova.org
or bicyclist, had a blood alcohol content
of 0.10 g/dl (grams per deciliter) or greater.
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center
Seventy percent of the 12,321 people killed
1–800–627–6872
in such crashes also were intoxicated. The
TTY 1–877–712–9279
remaining 30 percent were passengers, non-
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ovcres/welcome.html
intoxicated drivers, or nonintoxicated
nonoccupants. (Traffic Safety Facts 1999.
Remove Intoxicated Drivers-USA
Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic
514–393–HELP or 514–393–4357
Safety Administration, 2000)
www.rid-usa.org
? It is estimated that alcohol was involved in
38 percent of fatal crashes and 7 percent of
all crashes in 1999. (Traffic Safety Facts
1999. Washington, DC: National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 2000)
This brochure was developed by the National Center for
Victims of Crime under a project supported by Grant No.
97–VF–GX–K007 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime,
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
Points of view in this document are those of the author
and do not necessarily represent the official position
or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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What is drunk driving?
If You Are a Survivor of a
Where can you get help?
Drunk Driving Incident
Alcohol and other drugs impair driving ability.
Groups like MADD and RID were formed to
The term “drunk driving” is intended to incorpo-
Whether you or a loved one is a drunk or drug-
support victims of drunk driving, reduce the
rate all forms of impairment. Many states require
ged driving crash victim, you may be affected
number of deaths and injuries resulting from
a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 g/dl
physically, emotionally, and financially. For
impaired driving crashes, and advocate for
(grams per deciliter) before a driver is considered
injured victims and family members of those
tougher legislation. You may want to call your
legally intoxicated, but driver reaction time slows
killed or injured, the first task is processing what
local or state MADD or RID chapter or another
with a BAC below 0.10. Vision and depth per-
has happened. Impaired driving crashes are sud-
crime victim assistance program in your commu-
ception become distorted, and coordination and
den. They give you no time to prepare. It will
nity, or seek out counselors who understand
judgment are affected. Thus, more states have
take a lot of time just to grasp the shock and
the grief that follows this kind of loss and
recently lowered the BAC criterion to 0.08,
horror of the trauma. The physical and
trauma. Advocates can provide you
which is still well above the American Medical
emotional suffering may seem to use up
with information and a full range of
Association recommendation of 0.05 g/dl.
all the energy you have.
victim support services, such as assis-
tance through the criminal justice
Drunk/drugged driving deaths and injuries are
The knowledge that your body or that of
process. Victim assistance programs
senseless acts. They are someone’s fault (not
a loved one was damaged or disfigured is
and trained professionals also can help
“accidents”), so they always could have been
very traumatic. If a loved one was killed, the
you find out about crime victim rights in
prevented.
sudden, violent death that took his or her life
your state.
probably feels unlike any other loss you have
Drunk or drugged driving is a crime. Victims of
experienced. You may feel vast swings in emo-
When a loved one has been injured or killed, the
drunk driving crashes are not hurt accidently.
tion. You may feel guilty for not being able to
financial impact can be a second victimization.
The crime is the result of two choices made by a
protect your loved one, even if you know it was
The costs of medical care, travel, phone bills,
driver: to use alcohol or other drugs and to get
not possible. Knowing the crash could have
counseling, lost wages, and funerals can be over-
behind the wheel of a vehicle. These choices are
been prevented may be one of the most painful
whelming. All states now have crime victim
as dangerous to the public as using a deadly
aspects of your grief. The injustice of the death
compensation programs that reimburse victims’
weapon and can be just as deadly.
and your involvement with the criminal justice
families for certain out-of-pocket expenses,
system as a result of the crime may complicate
including funeral expenses, medical expenses,
Drunk driving is not a new
your grief.
lost wages, and other financial needs considered
problem. Thanks to the
reasonable. All state victim compensation pro-
work of Mothers Against
Whether you are an injured victim or a surviving
grams cover mental health counseling for sur-
Drunk Driving
family member or friend, you may experience a
vivors of someone killed. Many states provide
(MADD), Remove
new sense of vulnerability. You may have night-
emergency funds that are available within a few
Intoxicated Drivers
mares or flashbacks about the crash. Your eating
weeks of the crash. To be eligible for compensa-
(RID), and other grass-
and sleeping habits may change. You may feel
tion, the crime must be reported to the police
roots victim groups, pub-
depressed or hopeless and lack interest in things
and the victim and victim’s family must cooper-
lic awareness of drinking
you once enjoyed. Even though surviving a
ate with the criminal justice system. Victim assis-
and driving as preventable
drunk driving crash is a terrible trauma, many
tance programs in your community can provide
crime has grown, and the number
survivors find that with time they can face life
you with compensation applications and addi-
of state and federal laws against impaired driving
with new understanding and meaning.
tional information.
are increasing.

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