Lander Journal
LANDER — A study measuring the rate of deaths associated with drunk driving in the United States recently published its findings and declared that Fremont County ranked No. 1 in auto accidents that resulted in death caused by people driving drunk per capita.
The report, published by Gerber Injury Law, analyzed fatal crashes involving drunk driving between 2000 and 2019 in counties across the U.S.
“Our goal was to examine drunk driving trends in the U.S. geographically and historically, within this 19-year time frame. We also wanted to compare fatal crashes involving drunk driving versus buzzed driving,” the report states.
The firm found that “buzzed driving is equally as dangerous as drunk driving, and in some cases, significantly more dangerous to road users.”
It defined “drunk driving” as a driver with a blood-alcohol concentration measured at more than .08%, the legal limit, and “buzzed driving” as a driver with a BAC between .01% and .08%.
Fremont County tied with Wakulla County, Florida, and Marinet County, Wisconsin, for the top percentage — 47% — of fatal crashes involving alcohol in counties with a population of less than 25,000.
Fremont County broke the tie, however, by having the most alcohol-related deaths — 118 out of a total of 250 fatal crashes — during the time frame.
Fremont County drivers are reminded about the dangers of driving drunk through the use of billboards and public service announcements. They also benefit from the Fremont County DUI Task Force, which includes the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lander, Riverton, Shoshoni and Wind River police departments.
The purpose of the task force is to reduce fatal crashes through the enforcement of impaired driving and seat belt laws. These enforcement efforts are supported by a media campaign that stresses law enforcement’s zero-tolerance stance on impaired driving and commitment to seat belt enforcement.
The Fremont County DUI Task Force reminds drivers that it is never OK to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, you should designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation, a taxi or a ride-sharing service to get home safely.
According to Gerber Injury Law’s report, U.S. deaths associated with drunk driving since 2020 are trending down.
Erin Ivey, Fremont County’s coroner, said the same seems to be true locally, at least since 2021.
“Fremont County had a pretty bad year in 2020, but 2021 was historically one of the best years with regard to DUI deaths,” Ivey said. The numbers for 2022 have not been tallied yet.
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(1) comment
Sad. Big drinking problem over there.
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