Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog
You better be careful out there!
Officials throughout the Commonwealth say they’re stepping up enforcement efforts of liquor laws in an attempt to stop drunk driving accidents over the holiday season. According to 22NEWS, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission will also be focusing its attention on bars and restaurants in the state to help to make sure they’re following the state’s laws against serving those who are too intoxicated or those who are underage.
Steven Grossman, the State Treasurer, says that it’s these kinds of enforcement efforts that help to prevent tragedies before they happen. According to recent statistics, about half of Massachusetts’ arrests for impaired driving involves someone who had been drinking at a bar. This holiday enforcement effort runs along with enforcement efforts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is going on from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
Our Boston drunk driving injury lawyers are asking drivers to be safe out there over the holiday season and especially during weekends. During these times, about a third of all drivers who are involved in fatal accidents are under the influence of alcohol. The problem has gotten so bad that officials estimate that someone was killed in one of these accidents every 51 minutes in 2010. That’s more than 10,000 fatalities.
The holiday season is one of the worst, too! There’s a lot more traffic out there and there are a lot more celebrations and get-togethers. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough safe and responsible drivers as people continue to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
Americans take close to 250 billion trips in cars each and every year. Of those trips, about one out of every 2,000 is taken by someone who is driving under the influence of alcohol. Still, about one out of every three traffic fatalities involves a drunk driver.
Alcohol-related car accidents cost the country close to $40 billion each year. And these are accidents that are entirely preventable!
To help you to stay safe, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is here for some safe and sober driving tips:
-Do not get behind the wheel if you have consumed any amount of alcohol.
-Never allow any of your friends or your family members to drive after consuming alcohol.
-Plan ahead. Make sure you’ve got a designated driver before heading out.
-Remember that getting busted for driving under the influence can be costly! Officials estimate that a first-time drunk driving conviction can cost about $8,000.
-It’s not only alcohol that will impair your judgment. Medications can do so as well.
-If you think you spot and drunk driver on our roadways, report them by calling 9-1-1.
-Stay off your bicycle if you’ve been drinking, too!
-If you’re going to be throwing a party, make sure guests are sober before they leave.
If you or someone in your family has been involved in a drunk driving car accident, call the Law Office of Jeffrey S. Glassman, LLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. Call (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Drugged Driving Presents Increasing Concern for Law Enforcement, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, December 6, 2012
Dram Shop Verdict Draws Attention to Liability in Drunk Driving Accidents, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, December 4, 2012