North Carolina has found itself on a list of the worst states for drunk driving, according to data analyzed by backgroundchecks.org and released in March 2017.
The Tar Heel State came in at fifteenth on the list, which identified North Carolina as having a DUI death rate (per 100,000) of 4.05 and 35,967 DUI arrests. First on the list was Wyoming, followed by:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Wisconsin
“To create a ranking of states, we took a combination of deaths directly attributable to DUIs, DUI arrests per 100,000 people, and drinking too much before driving, as reported by drivers themselves,” backgroundchecks.org said in its release of the data. “We then created a weighted formula.”
The original data used to create the weighted formula came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. BackgroundChecks.org focuses on public safety, online privacy, home security and open government, and it regularly gathers new data and research on issues affecting public welfare.
Take Note: If you have lost your license and need to work on driver’s license restoration, browse through the attorney directories on www.Drunkdrivingattorneys.com or www.DriversLicenseRestorers.com. Pick an attorney experienced and knowledgeable in the driver’s license appeal (restoration) process in your state. If you need to get treatment to help make a case for restoring your license, there are treatment center directories on both sites. If you need information about points on your driving record, check your state department of motor vehicles. In North Carolina, go here. Helping yourself is always the first step in having your DUI attorney help you.
According to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, in 2015 there were 11,487 alcohol-related crashes, 415 alcohol-related fatalities, and 8,244 alcohol-related injuries. Information on North Carolina’s DUI laws can be found here. And, even more information on DUI laws across the nation can be found here.
A factor in North Carolina making the backgroundchecks.org list very well could be the state’s lack of resources to monitor and enforce driving and DUI laws. A 2016 article from the Citizen-Times highlighted the state’s struggle to fill North Carolina Highway Patrol vacancies.
“We can’t do less,” Trooper Jason Metcalf said in the article. “There are always calls for service. There are always collisions. There is always going to be enforcement. We are always going to have to do the same activity with less people.”
The vacancies were attributed to trooper retirements and basic training school sessions being cut due to budget restraints.
“Departments are struggling to find not only interested, but interested and qualified, candidates to join the force,” Jim Burch, vice president of the Police Foundation, said in a recent NBC News report. “With everything happening around policing from salary to criticism, the question many people are asking is ‘is it worth it?’”
Jacksonville, home to the United States Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, is reportedly the worst location in North Carolina for drinking-related issues, according to an online article in 24/7 Wall St.
At the time of the article, 19.2 percent of adults reported binge or heavy drinking, and alcohol was involved in approximately 33.3 percent of driving deaths in the area.
“The fact that over 10,000 people a year die from DUI-related accidents is a travesty,” Trent Wilson, co-author of the backgroundchecks.org research, was quoted as saying. In addition to those killed, some 200,000 sustain injuries as a direct result of someone driving under the influence, the organization notes.
“We hope this research will open some eyes and make people think twice before drinking and driving,” Wilson said.
