The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a report (with 2012 stats) that showed “in 2012, 10,322 people lost their lives in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.” These were people killed nation-wide.

That was an increase of 4.6% from 2011.

As for Montana, it leads the nation with 44% of the fatalities being alcohol-related. During 2012, there were 89 people killed in Montana in alcohol-related crashes, according to the report.

These 89 people left behind family and friends.

So congratulations Montana!

The NHTSA should make a traveling “Drunk Driving” trophy that has to be prominently displayed in the state capitol for the year after a state leads the nation in alcohol-related fatalities. Maybe state legislators, the governor, and the attorney general would work harder to deter drunk driving if they had to see that trophy.

The sad thing is there are people driving around right now who have multiple DUIs on their record. Hardly a month goes by that I don’t read about someone with more than five DUIs getting caught again.

It does not have to be that way.  Continue reading →