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North Carolina drivers among worst in country, study finds

When motorists get behind the wheel, they must not only take precautions to ensure they are driving safely, they must also consider the other motorists with whom they are sharing the road. While drivers may like to assume other motorists are going to act cautiously when on the road, unfortunately that is not always the case.

According to a recent study conducted by Car Insurance Comparison, some of the worst drivers in the country reside in the South – North Carolina included. The study examined motorists based on five factors, including fatalities, drunk driving and number of tickets received.

North Carolina tied with Missouri as the seventh worst state in the nation when it came to driving – as for drunk driving rates, North Carolina ranked 31st in the country.

Avoid a serious drunk driving collision in North Carolina

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 402 people died in drunk driving collisions in North Carolina in 2012. In total, drunk driving fatalities increased 12 percent from 2011 to 2012 and accounted for 31 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2012.

In addition, MADD reported that almost 8,500 people suffered injuries in auto accidents caused by drunk drivers in North Carolina in 2012.

The statistics in North Carolina are similar to those of the nation as a whole. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 10,300 people died in drunk driving crashes across the country in 2010 – accounting for 31 percent of all traffic fatalities that year.

In total, approximately 30 people are killed in drunk driving accidents in the United States on a daily basis.

Individuals can take some steps to help protect themselves from these dangerous collisions in North Carolina. For instance, if you believe your designated driver has consumed alcohol, do not get in the car. Instead, consider calling a taxi to take both you and the designated driver home.

Of course, you cannot account for the behaviors of other people on the road. While other motorists may make poor choices and get behind the wheel when impaired, you may have the right to compensation if another driver causes a collision.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident in North Carolina, you may be able to recover damages to account for the harm caused in the collision. In such cases, it is wise to quickly seek the advice of a skilled personal injury attorney.