Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog
Drinking and driving is a big problem along our state’s roads.
Some drivers are more likely to do it than others. According to a recent study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), trucks drivers were the group who were least likely to be involved in a fatal alcohol-related accident. In 2010, less than 5 percent of fatal accidents involving truckers involved an impaired driver. They only accounted for 2 percent of American drivers who were involved in a fatal accident with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, according to FleetOwner.
Alarmingly, the new statistics from the NHTSA show that about 70 percent of drunk driving accidents from 2010 involved a driver who had a BAC nearly twice the legal limit of .08.
Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand that there were more than 10,000 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents in 2010. These accidents accounted for about a third of all traffic fatalities in the country, meaning someone was killed every 51 minutes. During this same time, about 70 percent of these accidents involved a driver who returned a BAC reading twice that of the .08 legal limit. As a matter of fact, the most frequently recorded BAC among drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes was .18.
Regardless of how drunk a driver is when involved in a fatal car accident, the truth of the matter is that they’re breaking the law. Drivers should never get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, of any amount but especially when they’re drunk. These kinds of accidents are completely preventable.
To help to get drivers to be more responsible and to avoid these kinds of accidents, officials with the NHTSA are teaming up with law enforcement agencies across the nation, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), with the National Center for DWI Courts and with Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) for the nationwide anti-drunk driving campaign “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” The campaign kicked off on the 17th of August.
There are more than 10,000 law enforcement departments across the nation that are supporting this year’s campaign. It will be going strong through the Labor Day holiday weekend.
“Drunk driving remains a serious, unacceptable threat to our families and our communities. Our campaign is clear — if you choose to drive drunk, you will be held accountable,” said USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.
As we close up the summer season, we know that residents and visitors will be heading out for one last celebration. This is how most people view Labor Day weekend. We’re asking drivers to stay sober during this time. The Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest on our roadways and this is a direct result of drunk driving car accidents. Remember to always have a sober way to get home. You can use a taxi, a bus, the subway a train, a friend, a family member or even a trolley. Remember these options to help you to stay safe and out of a potentially fatal car accident.
If you have been injured in an accident in Massachusetts, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333 today!
Additional Resources:
NHTSA study: Truckers the most sober drivers on the road, by Deborah Whistler, Fleet Owner
More Blog Entries:
Boston Road Safety, Part 5: Impaired Driving, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, February 4, 2012
Authorities continue fight against drunk driving in effort to reduce serious and fatal Massachusetts car accidents, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, September 9, 2010