Amarillo Is Helping Lead The Way In Something They Don’t Want

Going out on a Friday or Saturday night is always a good time, right? Gather up some friends, get a babysitter for the kids, start with a nice fancy dinner, and end it with a night of dancing and drinking.

Ok, so it's like being 21 all over again, but we're older and wiser now, right? Apparently not.

The Texas Department of Transportation has just released their report on accidents involving drunk driving, and it doesn't exactly favor Amarillo. In fact, it shows we have no business going out and having those fun nights with friends.

Amarillo ranked 3rd on the list for drunk driving accidents that related in injury or death.

The study ranged over the course of three years, and it showed Amarillo hasn't exactly figured out that whole if you drink, you shouldn't drive concept. We averaged 244 alcohol-impaired accidents over that time period per year, so almost one per night on average.

Now we all know it's not one per night because during the week, you typically don't hear about that happening since most people aren't out partying on a Tuesday night. It means those weekend evenings are a good time to stay off the roads.

During that three year stretch, Amarillo averaged six deaths per year related to alcohol along with 129 injuries. So out of 244 accidents that were related to alcohol, well more than half of them ended unfavorably.

Remember, aside from the fact you are putting others on the road at risk, you could find yourself in financial ruin all because you decided to hop behind the wheel of a car after a fun night of drinking.

Well over $10,000 will be siphoned from your bank account due to the various fees and fines you'll be paying. You could find yourself in jail for up to six months just for the DWI portion, and a lot longer if you hurt or kill someone.

Tough to pay off everything you need to when you lose your job over that evening, not to mention it's going to be a lot harder to get a gig with that on your record. So before you decide it's a good idea to drive yourself home as you're leaving the bar, think about everything that could be coming YOUR way should you decide to. Not to mention your face could end up here.