For Young Drivers Deadly Dui Collisions Are More Likely

Drunk driving takes the lives of 32 Americans every day. For young drivers-particularly those in their twenties-the risk of being involved in a deadly car collision is extremely high, even more so when alcohol is involved.

A multiple-vehicle collision on the 405 Freeway last Sunday illustrates the high risk of being involved in an alcohol-related accident for twenty-something drivers: three of the six drivers involved in the accident were suspected of driving under the influence; two of these three impaired drivers are in their twenties. A twenty-year-old man triggered the accident by crashing into the freeways center divider, and a twenty-two-year-old woman continued it by first crashing into him and then another driver, causing that driver to crash into yet another vehicle. The pile-up that the two intoxicated twenty-something drivers caused slowed traffic, which lead to another collision.

In Irvine, intoxicated drivers struck two pedestrians in the last four days. While the identity of the driver who caused Tuesday nights accident has not been released, the impaired driver who caused Saturdays accident is a 25-year-old man from Huntington Beach.

Car collisions in which one or more of the drivers was intoxicated occur frequently for young drivers; in fact, individuals in their twenties were responsible for more fatal DUI accidents than any other age group in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 years old accounted for 34 percent of fatal collisions in involving alcohol that year, while drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 years old accounted for 31 percent.

The incidence of drunk driving in California and throughout the country is unfortunately quite high. A reputable California injury attorney can answer any questions a DUI accident victim may have regarding his or her legal options and rights to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and property loss or damage. Speaking with a California injury lawyer may help to clarify the legal process seeking such compensation requires.