There is nothing wrong with people in South Dakota having an alcoholic beverage or two when they are at home, at an event or enjoying a night on the town. However, drinking and driving is dangerous, and law enforcement is aggressive in trying to catch drivers who might be driving while intoxicated. Statistics show that South Dakota is one of the worst states in the nation for DWIs and subsequent road fatalities.
Study assesses alcohol consumption and road deaths
Zuboti provides drivers with educational services and analyzes road safety statistics. Recently, it looked at the data for how much alcohol is being consumed and the number of alcohol-related road deaths.
Using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration information for 2021, Zuboti found that nearly 13,400 fatalities were linked to drunk drivers. This was almost a 15% increase from 2020. Of all road deaths, alcohol was a factor in nearly one in three. This was the worst percentage in eight years. From 2019 to 2021, alcohol sales rose by 5.5%, showing that people are drinking more now than they did in the past.
As part of its study, Zuboti crafted a DUI Severity Score. It counted how many DWI arrests were made for every 100,000 drivers per state and then checked how many road deaths involved alcohol. Montana had the highest score, and South Dakota was second.
Know what can be done to combat DWI charges
For those charged with DWI, the prospect of being put through the legal system and facing a conviction can be intimidating. There are avenues of defense that can be effective such as questioning the testing procedures or the reason for the traffic stop. Exploring all options is fundamental to avoiding long-term DWI ramifications.