And in that spirit I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about a really important topic that affect us all.

So why now we've all seen the commercials and science, and we know that drunk driving is wrong.

Now that you know or what you likely don't know is the shocking facts and statistics behind it.

Welcome to facts in 5, the series that covers the coolest and most interesting facts on a topic in 5 minutes or less.

DUI, DWI, impaired driving; call it whatever you want,

is a selfish crime that causes thousands of deaths every year.

We live in a world where car crashes have become the leading cause of death among teenagers,

and alarmingly in just 2014 alone 17% of the sixteen to twenty year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes were in fact drunk.

This along with every other deaths caused by alcohol could have been avoided.

So, today, in hopes that you and yours have a safe holiday season,

we're taking a closer look at driving under the influence of alcohol and the unbelievable truth behind it.

That's right. This is facts in 5, all about drunk driving.

So, what is drunk driving? Drunk driving is a crime in which a person operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

In all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, it's illegal to drive through blood alcohol content, or BAC, is 0.08 or higher.

Unfortunately despite the fact that there are harsh penalties for it, that doesn't stop people from drinking and driving.

Some people just don't understand what BAC 0.08 means, and some truly believe that they're fine to drive when they definitely had too much.

The truth is it's simply not worth the risk and capture very affordable nowadays. Let's be honest.

Who does drunk driving affect?

Odds are you or someone that you know has been affect by drunk driving.

Statistically, when it came to fatal crashes that occurred 2014 involving a drunk driver, men were more often behind the wheel than women.

At a shocking ratio of 7574 to only 1771, that is 4.5 males for every one female.

Additionally, when looking at drivers involved in fatal crashes with the driver's blood alcohol level was 0.08 or higher, 30% of the 21 to 24 year-old involved were drunk.

The highest percentage of any age group.

So, to the young dudes out there, don't be a statistic.

You have many years of partying, having fun ahead of you.

Let's just make you're alive to enjoy it

Where dose drunk driving do damage?

In 2010, on top of the 10136 people who lost their lives due to drunk driving

44 billions of dollars in damages were caused because of it in the United States alone.

Yeah, that's right. I said 44 billion dollars.

That's a lot of money that can be used for some really great things, but instead, it's going to deal with the devastation caused by impaired use of motor vehicles.

It's kind of disgusting, isn't it?

What's worse is the other place that drunk driving hurts, families.

In 2014, 209 children 14 and younger lost their live because of an alcohol impaired driver.

160 of those kids were actually riding in a vehicle with a drunk driver at the wheel. It's just startling.

When does drunk driving happen?

Truth to be told, the answer to this question should obviously be never,

but unfortunately, that's simply not the case.

In 2014 of the drivers involved in fatal crashes that occurred in the USA at night,

34% were impaired, nearly 4 times more than the rate during daylight hours, at only 9%.

The same data showed that 29% of drivers involved in fatal crashes on the weekend, were drunk.

Nearly twice the rate of those during the week, at 16%.

But the scary statistic to come out of 2014 revealed that in the United States, an average of one drunk driving death occurred every 53 minutes.

Truly mind blowing.

So, why is drunk driving such an issue?

Well, as I've already said, drunk driving impacts our economy severely.

This is due to lost productivity, workplace losses, legal and court expenses, medical costs and property damages, just to name some.

But one of the most terrifying reality is that you could be the kind of person who never ever drives under influence, and yet is still the one of its many victims.

In 2014, it was reported that 2752 people lost their lives as vehicle occupants, due to impaired driving, while another 824 fatalities occurred amongst people who weren't in any vehicle at all.

Now that you know the dangers of drunk driving. Here's an easy way to get home safe when you've been drinking.

Download the NHTSA SaferRide APP from the Apple APP Store or the Google Play Store,

NHTSA wants to remind you to drive sober or get pulled over.

You guys are all really important to me, so please be safe this holiday season.

I want to see you and those you love around for a long time.

Be sure to add me to Twitter snapchat and Instagram. My handle on each is Matthew Santoro,

and don't forget to check out my other channel Matthieu Santorum blogs for even more fun and subscribe to this channel for more weekly videos.

I'll see you guys next time. Peace!