Washington DC Injury Attorney Blog

Between January 1, 2012 and January 24, 2012 there have been 11 teen automobile related fatalities in Virginia. At the same time period in 2011 there were only three. This is a huge increase that could be avoided if certain precautions were taken. The most common factors in the fatal automobile crashes are speed, distractions, alcohol, no use of seat belts and cell phone use.

Virginia safety organizations are urging teen drivers, as well as their parents, to take precautions to prevent further tragedies. Some of the precautions suggested are:
Teens:
- Obey posted speed limits;
- Do not Text, Talk or use handheld devices while driving;
- Do not drive distracted by changing radio stations, eating or by having too many passengers in the vehicle;
- Commit to driving safely;
- Always wear your seat belt.

Parents:
- Talk to your teen about the dangers of speeding and driving distracted;
- Set clear rules for driving and let them know that it is a privilege and not a right. They need to earn the privilege and that there are consequences to their actions;
- Set curfews, passenger limitations and make clear the punishment if these rules are broken.

Schools and Safety Organizations:
- Discuss the increase in teen fatalities, so that they are aware;
- Educate students on safe driving practices through interactive methods. Use visual displays, videos, guest speakers and programs;
- Post seat belt reminders and no cell phone use signs all over school property and all parking areas.

For more safety tips and information, visit the following websites: www.yovaso.net and www.blueridgecrashteams.org

Virginia drivers, under the age of 21, could have their license suspended for a year if they get behind the wheel after drinking alcoholic beverages. These underage drinkers and drivers will face stiffer penalties for driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .02% or more. Violators will have their license suspended for a year and will receive either a fine of up to $500 or 50 hours of community service.

On February 17, 2011, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a survey that showed that 710,000 Teens between the age of 12 to 14 drank alcohol per month. The survey was conducted from 2006 to 2009, and over 44,000 teens were surveyed.

The research showed that of those teens who drank, 93.4% obtained their alcohol for free from underage persons, 19.6% from parents and/or guardians, 15.7% from home, 15.2% from adult relatives, 13.9% from unrelated adults, 13.5% from someone's home, and 6.8% from other resources. Of the ones surveyed, 6.6% bought the alcohol at bars and liquor stores.

According to Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. , SAMHSA Administrator, "People who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are six times more likely than those who start at age 21 and older to develop alcohol problems. Parents and other adults need to be aware that providing alcohol to children can expose them to an increased risk for alcohol abuse and set them on a path with increased potential for addiction."

Underage drinking can lead to alcohol dependence and abuse and to serious heath problems. Alcohol not only affects the liver and pancreas, but it can also cause other chemical problems. It can lead to water loss, electrolyte depletion, deficiency of thiamine, etc.

About 5,000 people under the age of 21 die each year, as a result of alcohol use. 1,900 from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 from homicides, 300 from suicide and hundreds more from various other injuries. Therefore, parents need to be more careful and aware of the alcohol intake of their children and teens.

Out of the 21,798 drivers who were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United States in 2009, 63 percent of them were tested positive for drugs, and according to a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, 18 percent of them tested positive for drugs.

Drug data was collected Nationwide and analyzed by the NHTSA as part of a Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The types of drugs reported were over-the-counter medicines, prescription drugs and illicit drugs as well.

Previous reports by the NHTSA have shown that alcohol and drowsiness are some of the leading causes of fatal traffic accidents, but this new report will begin to explore the role that legal and illegal drug use play in accidents. This report has shown that drug involvement in fatal motor vehicle accidents is indeed increasing nationwide. This report will pave the way for more research and could ultimately lead to the establishment of standardized testing methods that would look into drug involvement and fatal accidents.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also published various reports that offer a look at roadway risks and show ways that lives can be saved. One IIHS report estimates that 7,440 driver deaths could have been prevented had blood-alcohol content levels been below .08%. The report also states that ignition interlock systems are one way to fight the problem of blood alcohol.

The ultimate solution would be that if you are impaired, whether it be from drowsiness, lack of sleep, alcohol use or legal or illegal drugs, it is best to not get behind the wheel and let someone else drive. Do not put yourself or others at risk of an accident and/or an untimely death. Common sense and caution need to be put at the forefront of your decision making and you need to give your keys to someone else. If you are impaired, Do not drive!

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) released a report in early October 2010 that shows that the two safest roadways are in Washington and Oregon, according to their 2010 ENA National Scorecard of State Roadway Laws. The District of Columbia has a score of 12, Maryland a score of 11 and Virginia a score of 9.

The 2010 ENA National Scorecard ranks states based on 14 types of legislation that address such things as seat belt use, motorcycle helmet requirements, devices to prevent drunk driving and cell phone use laws. States receive one point for each type of legislation they currently have. Oregon and Washington both had a score of 14, making them the safest roadways to travel in the United States.

Date collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that someone dies in a car crash in the US every 12 minutes and someone is injured, taken to and treated in an emergency department for injuries as a result of an automobile accident every 10 seconds. These injuries and deaths are preventable through roadways laws and enforcement of these safety laws, it is the passing of these safety laws that save lives.

Twenty six states and the District of Columbia have passed or enacted laws that prevent the entering, sending, reading or otherwise retrieving data for all drivers using wireless communication devices (i.e.: cell phones). 5,474 people died in 2009 as a result of distraction-related automobile accidents, according to the National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration (NHSTA). This means that 18% of annual fatalities are a result of distracted drivers nationwide.

To view the full 2010 ENA National Scorecard and State Roadway Laws report please visit www.ena.org.

A hit and run accident is when you are involved in an automobile accident and one of the parties involved leaves the scene. This can leave you shaken and upset.

Hit and run accidents have been on the rise for the last 10 years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), reports that over 10% of all automobile accidents are hit and run accidents. There are numerous reasons why a person would leave the scene of an accident, but the two most common reasons are: being uninsured and being under the influence of alcohol of drugs.

Here are a few tips in case you are a victim of a hit and run accident:
- Assess your physical well-being as well as any other person involved;
- Call the police and report the accident;
- Write down any information you remember about the vehicle that left the scene;
- Identify any witnesses and obtain contact information from them, so you can contact them at a later time; and
- Call the Ambulance, if necessarily

If you are injured as a result of the hit and run accident it is important to seek emergency medical care. You will also need to contact you insurance company and report the accident. You will need to handle your property damage directly with your insurance company. You will also need to make sure that you have under-insured or un-insured coverage under your own person automotive insurance policy. You may find all this a bit much to handle, and if you do you will need to hire an experienced personal injury attorney to assist you in dealing with the insurance company on your behalf.

The number of alcohol related deaths in Maryland has increased by 12%, even as the national count declined. Non-alcohol related deaths in Maryland in 2009, declined by 7%. That means that 44 fewer people died in automobile accidents in Maryland in 2009, than in 2008.

The decline in automobile deaths may be associated with fewer drivers on the road, due to the recession and unemployment. People may also be taking less road trips and therefore there is less congestion on the roads and less chance for multiple car crashes, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In 2009, 162 people died in alcohol related accidents in Maryland, while in 2008, only 145 died. Nationally, however, more than 30,000 lives are being lost a year on our highways, and a third of those involved drunk driving.

Spokesperson for Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Shaun Adamec said, "O'Malley would continue to seek stiff penalties for drunken drivers and repeat offenders, and would support the ignition interlock bill if it is reintroduced. The Governor is also committed to investments in the first responder network, including $50 million for new medevac helicopters."

Despite safer automobiles, safer highways, better trauma facilities and more seat belts being used in the United States, Marylanders still drink and drive. Police Officers arrest over 25,000 people a year for drunk driving, in Maryland. Of these, more than 300 are during Labor Day weekend.

Spokeswoman for AAA in Maryland, Christine Delise said, "the organization will continue to advocate for more use of ignition interlock devices for repeat DUI offenders, as well as first time offenders with excessive blood alcohol content."

Lets hope that all these changes and stricter law enforcement will lower the number of both automobile accident deaths and alcohol related accident deaths, not only in Maryland, but nationwide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study that shows; that the costs associated with injuries from automobile crashes is more that $99 billion a year, nationwide. These costs include medical care costs and loss of productivity costs. Of this, $58 billion was due to fatalities, $28 billion for nonfatal injuries that required hospitalization, and $14 billion was for people treated as outpatients at hospitals. The study was released in August 2010. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this number increases considerably when you factor in higher insurance premiums, taxes and delays in travel, to nearly $230.6 billion. Grant Baldwin, Director of the CDC's Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention said, "This study highlights the magnitude of the problem of crash-related injuries from a cost perspective."

Injuries to occupants of motor vehicles, is about $70 billion, motorcyclist $12 billion, pedestrians $10 billion and Cyclists $5 billion.

Injuries and deaths from traffic accidents, however, have been falling. The lowest level since 1961 occurred in 2008, but traffic accidents are still the 9th leading cause of deaths worldwide. It is expected that by the year 2030 deaths caused by traffic accidents will become the 5th, surpassing diabetes, HIV/AIDS and Heart Disease. In the United States, 15 to 16 fatalities as a result of traffic accidents occur per every 100,000 people.

Motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths are preventable in the United States, if more laws were implemented that require helmets for motorcyclists, stricter seat belt, drug, alcohol and texting laws, as well as increasing teen rules until the age of 18.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is spending over 13 Million on ads and teaming up with about 11,000 police agencies for Labor Day Weekend. It is reported by the government that there are about 17 million drunk drivers a year in the United States, much of which have deadly results.

David Strickland, Administrator for the NHTSA said, "We have got to go more to close the gap between believing that drunk driving is a threat and actively doing something about it."

The message in Virginia is clear: "Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest."
A government survey conducted in 2010 shows that 1 in 5 people admit driving just two hours after drinking, while a quarter of drunk drivers report drinking at least 3 times a week. The survey also shows that 1 in 10 people knowingly get into a vehicle with a drunk driver.

The Director of the Maryland Highway Safety Office, Mr. Vernon Betkey, said, "If we eliminated drunk driving on our highways, and also had 100 percent seatbelt usage, we would cut the amount of fatalities we have by one half."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the USA. The deadliest time is the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day for drivers between the ages of 15-20. It is during this time that teens are out of school, have more free time under less parental supervision and have more opportunities to drive at night, when the road risks are higher and their curfews later in the night. Inexperience and Immaturity are the two main factors in teen auto crashes.

Justin McNaull, state relations director for auto club AAA states that, "For many kids, every day in the summer is a weekend day." During the summer teens are less supervised by their parents and allowed more freedom, when it comes to driving. Teenagers also do more purposeless driving, which are more dangerous. Driving at 10pm is different than driving at 7am. The deadliest hours for teens are the hours between 10pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. It is because of their inexperience and immaturity that they tend to maneuver turns carelessly and rear-end other vehicles more frequently, and when you add the fact that they are doing this more at night it becomes even more dangerous.

States and Highway safety officials try to reach out to young drivers, as well as their parents, before the end of the school year to remind them to exercise caution while driving during summer vacation. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program, a non-profit group battling drunken driving and underage drinking in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, warns parents of the hazards of summer driving through media and parent-teacher organizations. According to this organization, during the summer months there are about 50% more drink driving deaths involving teens than any other time of the year.

Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have implemented laws specifically for teens. Two of the laws implemented are the "Click it or Ticket" and "Seat Belt Laws", which push seat belt usage for teens. Other than what the states can do, parents also need to be more responsible during the summer months for their children.

States are increasingly mandating the use of ignition breathalyzers for first-time offenders in order to deter more citizens from drunk driving. Twelve states in the United States already use this as a punishment for drunk driving and Ten States, which include Maryland and Virginia are debating on whether to take the same step.

Congress is also considering whether to push states to mandate the breathalyzers for first-time offenders by withholding federal highway funds.

The Ignition interlock devices will not let the engine start until the driver successfully breathes into a device. These devices are not new, but the technology has become more sophisticated and reliable.

Advocates of these devices believe that they are the most effective tool to come along in the last 30 years. Senator Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery) believes that the punishment implemented now just does not work and that is why we must implement the ignition breathalyzers.

Federal data that was compiled two years ago showed that in Maryland, 25,120 drivers had three or more drunk driving convictions, 4,000 of which had five or more and nearly 70 had more that ten. In the District of Columbia, 34 drivers had more that three convictions.

Lon Anderson of the AAA Mid-Atlantic believes that First-time offenders probably are chronic offenders and have probably escaped detection many times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last year that studies suggest interlocks "may be necessary as a long term or permanent condition of driving for repeat offenders."