Eight people were injured in what police believe was a double drunk driving accident, involving two intoxicated motorists in San Francisco. The accident involved a van and sedan. According to police, the driver of the van was speeding when he ran a red light and broadsided the sedan. There were two people in the van, and six in the sedan. All of them have been injured in the drunk driving accident.

The impact of the accident was great, and firefighters had to use Jaws of Life to extricate the injured passengers. At least two of the victims suffered critical injuries. Police believe that the drivers of both the van and sedan were driving under the influence at the time. According to police, both drivers have been arrested in the accident.

Sometimes it's easy for San Francisco car accident lawyers to believe that with all the focus on distracted driving, much of the attention has been shifted from the still-very-real problem of intoxicated driving. Granted, the numbers of people dying in alcohol-related car accidents has been declining over the past decade. However, driving under the influence is still the second biggest factor in auto accident fatalities annually.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there had been at least 112 million episodes of drunk driving in the United States in 2010. The agency also reported that those numbers have declined by 30% over the past five years. However, some intoxicated drivers, like young drivers, especially males, continue to be at a high risk of being involved in intoxicated driving accidents. 112 million instances involving a drunk driver placing the lives of motorists at risk is too high a number to tolerate.