Though most car accidents are avoidable with a little extra care, few are as easily avoidable as drunk driving accidents. Drivers know well that driving under the influence is dangerous and illegal, and all they need to do is find another ride, whether that means getting a designated driver or calling a cab or ride share vehicle.

But they don’t. They continue to underestimate the risk and drive while intoxicated. And, in turn, they keep causing these devastating accidents, leaving tens of thousands of people with serious injuries, damage to their vehicles and many other expensive issues.

In fact, the fatality rate from drunk driving is stunning. Some sources claim that a person passes away in one of these accidents every 45 minutes. That’s nearly two lives lost every hour, or 32 people every day. It doesn’t take long to consider the impact these crashes have over the course of a month or a year.

What can you do?

If you’re worried about getting hit by a drunk driver, try to avoid the roads at night, when drinking is more common. If you spot a driver you think is intoxicated, keep your distance. Always be a defensive driver, looking for mistakes and errors that haven’t even happened yet. Understanding the risks and watching out for those drivers is your best chance to avoid a crash, along with not drinking yourself.

If you do get injured or lose a loved one in a crash caused by a drunk driver, that’s when you need to know your rights to compensation.