Ryan Dunn died from a horrific car crash that sent his car off the road, through the guardrails of a highway, and into a tree. The vehicle was wrecked and burst into flames. Dunn's cause of death was blunt and thermal trauma.

TMZ reported that Dunn was going 130 mph and his blood alcohol content (.196) was almost 2.5 times the legal limit.

Driving drunk and fast is a potent recipe for fatal disasters, according to experts and telling statistics.

Driving Fast

Cars and roads are only designed to handle impact at certain speeds. Once those speeds are exceeded, safeguards like safety belts, air bags, and guardrails are rendered less effective at protecting passengers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The IIHS also said that going fast increases the chances of automobile accidents because it gives drivers less time to react to dangers and the car takes longer to stop once the driver starts braking.

The Census Bureau reported that 11,674 people in America died from speeding-related accidents in 2008. It accounted for 31 percent of the total car crash fatalities.

Driving Drunk

Ryan Dunn's blood alcohol content was .196. At .08 (the legal limit), alcohol causes reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately.

At .15, alcohol results in substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and visual and auditory information processing, according to MADD.

The Census Bureau reported that 11,773 car crash fatalities involved blood alcohol content of more than 0.08. It accounted for 32 percent of total fatalities.

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