Articles Posted in Drunk Driving Victims

While our Boston injury lawyers reported on the recent historic drop in traffic accidents last year, one-third of traffic fatalities nationwide remained the fault of drunk driving, according to new statistics just released from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Alcohol-related Massachusetts car accidents were responsible for 108 of 334 fatalities in 2009, compared to 120 of the 364 traffic fatalities in 2008. Nationwide, 10,839 motorists died in alcohol-related crashes last year, compared to 11,711 in 2008. While 33 states reported a decline, alcohol involvement in 1 in 3 fatal traffic deaths is still much too high.

“We are still losing more than 30,000 lives a year on our highways, and about a third of these involve drunk driving,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “We will continue to work with our state partners to strictly enforce both seat belt use and anti-drunk driving laws across this nation, every day and every night.”

As we reported earlier this month on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, new data shows that eight percent of all motorists — or some 17 million drivers — have driven drunk in the last year, despite the fact that 80 percent say drunk driving is a major threat to the safety of their family.

Organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving are vowing to redouble efforts to prevent the kind of senseless tragedy that results from drunk driving accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

The states with the highest percentage of drunk driving accidents last year included Connecticut (44 percent), Hawaii (48 percent), Kansas (40 percent), Rhode Island (40 percent), South Carolina (42 percent), South Dakota (40 percent) and Washington (42 percent).
Continue reading

A new survey found that 80 percent of Americans consider drunk driving to be a primary threat to the safety of their family, a statistic that has Mothers Against Drunk Driving vowing renewed vigilance as we head into the heart of the 2010 holiday season when motorists will be most at risk for a drunk driving accident in Boston and throughout the rest of the nation.

Despite the concern from 4 of every 5 motorists, about 8 percent of all drivers – or some 17 million motorists – admitted to driving drunk in the last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“The survey makes one thing very clear: drunk driving remains a primary threat to the American family,” said Laura Dean-Mooney, MADD National President. “This means that MADD’s work won’t be done until cars are turned into the cure, eliminating drunk driving forever.”

Still, much progress has been made: Drunk driving fatalities have declined by 44 percent since MADD was organized 30 years ago. The survey found continued support for ignition interlock devices and sobriety checkpoints, two of the cornerstones of the organization’s “Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.”

Like most poor driving habits, the survey also found that teen drivers are among the most at risk. About one-fourth of young males admitted to either driving drunk or riding in a car with a drunk driver at some point in the last year.

“We know that the younger kids start drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to become drunk drivers,” said Dean-Mooney. “This data reiterates that point and makes it clear that parents need to talk to their kids about the dangers of drinking underage early, and often.”
Continue reading

Fewer Massachusetts drunk driving accidents could result from a system under testing in Waltham, which could prove the greatest lifesaver since the seat belt, the Boston Globe reports.

The system would test the blood-alcohol level of all drivers with just the touch of a button — before permitting a car to start — and could become as standard as seat belt or airbags in next-generation automobiles. Currently, ignition interlock devices, which conduct a breath test on drivers before permitting a car to start — are required for those convicted of two or more drunk driving offenses in Massachusetts. They have been mandated for first-time offenders in some states, including New York.

But the $10 million program backed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the first that would develop a high-tech instrument for the mass market, which could be installed as standard equipment in all new automobiles.

Safety advocates contend the devices could save 9,000 of the 11,000 people a year who are killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents. That would be a staggering achievement rivaled only by the 15,000 lives a year saved by seat belts.

The devices are currently under development at QinetiQ North America, a Waltham defense contractor with a five-year trial that ends in 2013.

A number of hurdles remain, not the least of which are the privacy concerns and implications. The prototype devices would also need to be cheaper and smaller to make them conducive to mass-market use. Prototypes are about the size of a shoe box or larger.

“MADD is very excited about this,” said Mothers Against Drunk Driving spokesman J.T. Griffin. “This could really eliminate drunk driving in America.”

In 2008, 151 of 363 fatal car accidents in Massachusetts involved alcohol.
Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Transportation will be joining law enforcement efforts in all 50 states to crack down on drunk driving and other driving infractions through the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Our Boston accident attorneys continue to report on the dangers of drunk driving accidents. Alcohol was involved in 151 fatal Massachusetts car accidents in 2008 — accounting for 42 percent of the state’s 363 traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” is a nationwide campaign that began Aug. 20 and runs through Labor Day weekend. Law enforcement efforts in all 50 states will be augmented by a $13 million television and radio campaign.

“Drunk driving is deadly, it’s against the law, and unfortunately, it’s still a problem,” said Secretary Ray LaHood. “With the help of law enforcement around the country, we are going to continue doing all that we can to stop drunk driving and the needless tragedies that result from this reckless behavior.”

A new study released in time for the holiday found that about 8 percent of all drivers — or 17 million motorists — have driving drunk at least once in the past year. One in 5 motorists have driven within two hours of drinking alcohol at some point in the past year. Yet 80 percent of Americans identify drunk driving as a “major threat” to the safety of their family.

“Our message is loud and clear. If you drive drunk you will be arrested and prosecuted. There will be no exceptions and no excuses,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “And if you’re below the age of 21, there is zero tolerance for any alcohol in your system whatsoever. That’s why we’re out there with law enforcement, tackling this major safety issue head on.”

The study found that young male drivers are at the highest risk. Of male drivers age 16 to 24, a full one-fourth had either driven drunk or had been a passenger in a car driven by someone who had too much to drink at some point during the past 12 months.
Continue reading

A pair of Massachusetts drunk driving accidents damaged a cemetery and a gas station over the weekend. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the crashes. Too often, these types of senseless accidents result in the serious injury or death of other motorists on the road.

As our Boston accident lawyers continue to report, crashes involving drunk drivers are responsible for about one-third of all fatal accidents on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that a drunk driving fatality occurs every 45 minutes. In 2008, a total of 11,773 drunk driving fatalities were report on the nation’s roads. Alcohol was involved in 4 of every 10 fatal Massachusetts car accidents – or 151 of 363 deadly crashes that occurred in the state in 2008.

In these cases, nothing but property was in the way of the drunk drivers, leading to crashes that made news for being unusual, instead of tragic.

Shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday, a 22-year-old woman driving northbound on Route Six crashed through a fence and landed in a Cape Cod cemetery, ABC5 reported. She struck nine headstones before coming to a stop inside Duck Creek Cemetery. She was placed under arrest on a charge of operating under the influence of alcohol.

In a separate incident, the MetroWest Daily News reported that a 23-year-old New Hampshire man crashed his Audi into a gas station in Sudbury.

That crash occurred shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday at the Sudbury Automotive on Boston Post Road. An officer happened to drive by the station and spotted the driver standing outside the vehicle, which had penetrated the side of the building. The driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to stay within marked lanes.

The gas station and repair shop was closed at the time. The owner said the vehicle was stopped by a pair of vending machines but that the crash sprayed Pepsi, Coke and loose change all over the property.
Continue reading

A 39-year-old man has been charged with drunk driving in connection with a Cambridge car accident that injured a state trooper, the Globe reported.

It is the third time in two weeks that a Massachusetts state trooper has been struck by a motorist. As we reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, a trooper was struck in the leg while conducting a traffic stop on southbound Route 128 over the Fourth of July weekend. And a 52-year-old state trooper was killed on 1-95 while making a traffic stop. Both drivers in that case have been charged with drunk driving.

In this case, the defendant reportedly told investigators that he had consumed four beers in the half hour before the Cambridge crash. He pleaded not guilty to charges of operating under the influence, operating under the influence of liquor causing serious bodily injury with negligence and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Authorities say the man has two other OUIs on his record. State police say they gave him a blood-alcohol test two hours after the crash and he tested .15, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 for drunk driving in Massachusetts.

He was allegedly driving a Nissan Maxima when he hit a state police captain who was directing traffic in Cambridge following the Fourth of July fireworks display.
Continue reading

Upwards of half of all fatal Massachusetts car accidents are caused by drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Someone dies in a drunk driving accident in the United States every 45 minutes.

Of course there are habitual offenders on our roads; people who have no regard for their own safety, let alone the safety of innocent motorists. But many drunk driving accidents involve regular folks, who simply misjudged their ability to drive or who were embarrassed to take a cab or ask for a ride. Tragically, teenagers are also at increased risk for being involved in a fatal car accident involving alcohol. Boston Injury Lawyer Jeffrey S. Glassman and our entire staff encourage you to stay safe this summer, use a designated driver, and talk to your teenagers about the dangers of drunk driving.

This is the third installment of our Safe Driving Series and we hope you will return to our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog to check for updates.

In 2008, 151 of 363 fatal Massachusetts car accidents involved a driver who had alcohol in his system — or 42 percent of all fatal crashes. In 124 of those cases, a driver was legally drunk. Of those, 81 drivers tested over .15, or twice the legal limit of .08 for drunk driving in Massachusetts. Those figures put Massachusetts among the Top 10 states nationwide. Only Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming and Washington had a greater percentage of alcohol involvement in fatal traffic accidents.

Nationwide, one-third of all fatal traffic accidents involved a drunk driver, claiming 11,773 lives in 2008.

Facts about drunk driving:

-Someone is killed in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes.

-Accident rates are four-times higher at night than during the day.

-Drunk driving accidents are twice as likely to occur on the weekend.

-Drivers ages 21 to 24 were most likely to be involved in a fatal drunk driving accident.
Continue reading