The fact that it’s incredibly unsafe to drive while intoxicated by alcohol or any other substance shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone reading this. Not only has Calgary been working hard to raise more awareness about the dangers of drunk driving for years, but it’s simple common sense. We’ve all known about the dangers of drunk driving for years, we know the statistics about the increased risk for serious accidents, and anyone who’s ever been even the slightest bit intoxicated can tell you it’s a bad idea.

When your judgment is impaired, when your response time is substantially increased, when you are less aware of your surroundings and less able to control your actions, operating a potentially deadly vehicle on public Calgary roads is just about the last thing you should be doing.

Yet for whatever reason, more than a thousand people are charged with impaired driving in the City of Calgary every year—and that doesn’t include all of the arrests in the Greater Calgary Area, or all the people who drove while impaired and got away with it.

Most Calgary drivers are very responsible, and would never consider getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. Impaired drivers put the rest of us at extreme risk, for no good reason at all. The fact that they are behind the wheel, steering vehicles that weigh hundreds or thousands of pounds often at breakneck speeds, is a dangerous situation in and of itself, and it means the rest of us can’t feel secure on the roads we all share.

Being drunk doesn’t excuse dangerous driving, accidents, or the injuries and wrongful deaths it can cause. If anything, being drunk makes these things far worse: it means someone made a decision to put everyone else at risk, and took the chance that they could hurt or kill people seemingly without a care.

According to initial statements made by Calgary Police Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey, the driver who caused this multi-vehicle accident in Calgary just last week may have been intoxicated when his pickup truck crossed a median and ran into oncoming traffic. One man died at the scene, a woman was taken to the hospital in life threatening condition, and three more were hospitalized with conditions ranging from serious to stable.

Accidents like these are some of the toughest we face as personal injury lawyers here in Calgary. The suddenness, the senselessness, and the totality of the devastation can seem insurmountable, and the fact that it was all caused by a drunk driver seems to add insult to injury. That’s why we fight hard to ensure that drivers who willfully cause accidents like this are held to account, and forced to confront the consequences of their actions.

Speak to a Compassionate Calgary Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you or a family member has been injured in a car accident and you would like a free initial consultation with one of Calgary’s premier personal injury law firms, please contact our office today.