Drinking and Walking Proves Dangerous, Too

pedestrianA recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that more than a third of the pedestrians who died in a traffic accident had blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher.

Of the more than 4,000 people who perished, 37 percent were at or above the legal limit for driving. Nearly half of the pedestrians killed between the ages of 21 and 54 were at .08 or above. This shows that impairment by alcohol can be deadly even if not driving, as people can wander out into the street, misjudge oncoming traffic and put themselves at risk in other ways as well.

Overall, alcohol was involved in a reported 48 percent of the traffic crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities, when drivers’ blood alcohol content was included.

The NHTSA has launched a new initiative, called Everyone Is A Pedestrian, that includes grants for cities that have the highest pedestrian fatalities.

Alcohol continues to be the most abused substance in our country and one of the deadliest. If you know of someone in need of help for alcohol addiction, contact Desert Cove Recovery today for information about effective treatment options.