Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog

Prom night is a right of passage enjoyed by teens throughout the United States. Unfortunately, prom night is also a time when bad things can happen. The same holds true through the upcoming graduation season. One primary risk kids face comes from drunk driving.

As our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know, there are zero tolerance laws in place designed to stop young people from having a drink and getting behind the wheel. These laws, unfortunately, don’t always work the way they should and kids tend to drink anyway. This is especially true around certain special occasions such as prom and graduation.

The Dangers of Alcohol on Prom Night
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has attempted to address head-on the dangers that kids face as a result of the temptation to drink and drive around prom night. MADD has tackled this issue as part of its Prom-oting Safe Behavior Campaign.

On its Promoting Safe Behavior website, MADD urges teens to understand that drinking alcohol is not a prerequisite to good memories. In fact, drinking is not necessary to have a good time at all and can result in tragic consequences.

When a person drinks, MADD points out, good judgment disappears as the alcohol makes its impact on the body. An intoxicated person is more likely to make bad decisions such as getting into fights or having unprotected and/or unplanned sexual encounters. An intoxicated person is also more likely to drive drunk himself or to get into the car with someone who is driving drunk. The impaired judgment caused by the alcohol will then make an accident far more likely to occur.

These consequences of intoxication will only get worse the more someone drinks. A person who drinks a lot can start to black out and may not be in control of his or her actions at all. It is entirely possible that a person who has blacked out will remember nothing of what occurred the next day once the alcohol is out of his system. Still, those who are blacked out can continue to walk, talk, and even drive, all while they have no control at all over their bodies because of the alcohol.

Teens who have had large amounts to drink and who have blacked out present the greatest menace behind the wheel. However, any drunk teen puts himself and others in danger.

Preventing Drunken Accidents
Prom night and graduation are never worth losing a life over. Parents should talk to their kids about the dangers of drunk driving and should work out some basic ground rules that must be followed so that everyone can stay safe. While drinking should never be encouraged, the plan could, for example, involve a rented limo so that if someone does drink, it won’t be tempting for that person to drive home.

Planning alcohol-free activities is also a good idea for parents who wish to minimize the chances of a drunk driving crash. These types of activities allow kids to have fun without the risks associated with driving drunk.
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Alcohol can be very dangerous when overused or when in the wrong hands. Unfortunately, many of the individuals who are at the greatest risk of being harmed are those who are not even legally allowed to drink. These individuals are teenagers.

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know that teens are often not mature enough to make wise choices about whether to drink or about how much to drink. Teens often think that drinking is fun, cool or something that everyone does. They may not know just how many risks they take on if they make the choice to get drunk.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is working to change this and part of its efforts to do this involve naming April “Alcohol Awareness” Month.

Alcohol Awareness Month Information

Mothers Against Drunk Driving highlights the need for alcohol awareness month on its website by listing some of the undesired consequences of teen drinking. According to MADD, teens who drink alcohol are more likely to:

• Die in car wrecks.
• Become pregnant.
• Fail in school.
• Become a victim of sexual assault or rape.
• Become an alcohol as an adult.
• Commit suicide.

None of these outcomes are desirable for any teen, but all are very real consequences of a young person making the choice to consume alcohol. Most people are aware of some of these consequences, especially of the risks of drunk driving because this is such a deadly practice. However, few teens and few parents are aware that all of these potential outcomes are more likely when a young person drinks.

Further, as MADD points out, many parents are unaware that 68 percent of underage drinking deaths happen off the roads and are caused by other incidents besides traffic crashes. Taking away the keys, in other words, doesn’t remove all the risks associated with teen drinking.

Parents need to take a broader and more comprehensive approach to helping kids understand just how dangerous drinking can be.

How Parents Can Help Protect their Kids
Although MADD has bad news about the risks that young drinkers face, there is also some good news. The good news is that parents can make a huge difference in whether their child drinks or not. A full 74 percent of teens- almost three-quarters- indicate that their parents are the number one influence on whether they will consume alcohol.

MADD advises parents to open up a dialogue with their teenagers as a good first step towards discussing the real-world consequences of alcohol consumption. April’s Alcohol Awareness Month is the prime time to have such a discussion, and MADD has made available a booklet called the Power of Parents booklet, which is designed to help parents better communicate with their kids on the dangers of intoxicated driving.

MADD also has a Power of You(th) booklet that is designed to help teens who want to take a stand against underaged drinking to access research information and materials.

Hopefully, parents and teens will be inspired over this month to learn more about the dangers of underaged drinking. If teens learn about the risks they face and if parents enforce rules and boundaries, then teens will be less at risk of suffering injury or harm. Not only that, but keeping teen drunk drivers off the road can help to keep everyone safe including innocent victims who could be killed if a drunk teen got behind the wheel.
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Drunk driving is one of the most dangerous behaviors that a person can engage in.

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know that thousands of lives are lost each year as a result of the actions of a drunk driver. Unfortunately, while people know drunk driving is dangerous,some still choose to do it anyway. Some of those who would drive drunk, however, are deterred by the fact that it is a crime. Others who do drive drunk are stopped from hurting themselves and others as a result of criminal laws that give police the authority to make an arrest.

Unfortunately, as the Boston Globe reports, the number of drunk driving arrests in Boston is in decline. This is raising alarm among activists who believe that this is making the city much more dangerous.

Boston Drunk Driving Arrests Decline
According to the Boston Globe, arrests for impaired driving in Boston have fallen by as much as one-third since 2009. Last year, for example, Boston only made a grand total of 241 arrests for drunk driving. This is around two arrests every three days, down significantly from the number of arrests per day in prior years.

Boston is not only showing a decline in the number of drunk driving arrests as compared with prior years, the city is also showing that it is falling short when compared to other locations. For example, Denver had more than 3,000 drunk driving arrests last year although it has a slightly lower population than Boston. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a slightly larger city in a smaller metro region, there were 1,600 arrests last year for drunk driving. Both the 1,600 arrests and the 3,000+ arrests were significantly more arrests than Boston’s 241.

It might be nice to think that Boston simply doesn’t have very many drunk drivers. Boston police argue that the low number of arrests is simply because Boston is a walkable city. However, chances are this is not making much of an impact since Boston was a walkable city with a good public transportation system before the decline in arrests.

In fact, there are likely as many drunk drivers as ever– they just aren’t being arrested. Law enforcement officials and drunk driving opponents believe that the very small number of arrests and the significant decline in DUI actions is because law enforcement doesn’t place drunk driving as a priority. The Boston Globe indicated that police cannot prioritize drunk driving because they are focusing on fighting violent crimes, responding to emergency situations and protecting rough neighborhoods.

Another possible explanation is that there still are many arrests but that the arrests are being carried out by the state police rather than the Boston police (who have the low arrest statistics). State police have made more than 1,400 drunk driving arrests since 2010 started and they are responsible for controlling almost all roadways in and out of the city.

However, the significant decline in the number arrested is still cause for concern because there are plenty of streets within the city of Boston where drunk drivers are putting everyone at risk.
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There’s one local government in Ireland that recently decided to raise it’s legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level for drivers. According to the International Business Times, a local politician thought that residents should be able to drink more and then drive home. He said that these residents weren’t likely to crash on rural roadways and that the extra drinks were going to help fight off mental illness.

Our Boston drunk driving injury attorneys understand that many headlines proclaim this local government has “legalized drunk driving.” But the truth is that its newly-increased legal BAC level is still lower than the ..08 percent allotted for U.S. drivers. The small Ireland town simply went from a .05 to a .07 percent. Still, any amount of alcohol can negatively affect our skills behind the wheel. Alcohol slows down our reaction abilities and increases our risk for an accident.

“The risk of being in a crash gradually increases at each BAC level, but rises very rapidly after a driver reaches or exceeds .08 BAC,” stated an National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), there were close to 10,000 people killed in the U.S. because of alcohol-related car accidents. These accidents also injured close to 400,000 people. Alcohol-impaired drivers cost the country more than $130 billion each and every year. And even if you’re not involved in a drunk driving car accident, you’re helping to foot the bill. These accidents affect everyone in the community.

It’s so bad that every 53 minutes, on average, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash in the United States. It’s the cause of about a third of our fatal car accidents each year. What’s so alarming about this is that these collisions are completely preventable. There’s never a good reason for a driver to get behind the wheel after consuming any amount of alcohol. There are so many other safe and sober ways to get to where you’ve got to be. There are cab companies, buses, public transit as well as friends and family members. Heck, you can even snag a hotel room and sleep it off. There’s never a good reason to risk your life and the lives of innocent travelers because you’re under the influence.

In the state of Massachusetts, there were close to 150 alcohol-related car accident fatalities in 2011. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 110 of these fatalities involved a driver who was legally drunk behind the wheel.

Be careful out there, especially at night. During the evening hours, drivers are four times more likely to hop behind the wheel legally drunk. Our young ones are at risk, too. As a matter of fact, drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 are most likely to be intoxicated when involved in a fatal accident. Regardless of time of day or age — stay sober and safe behind the wheel.
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A recent car accident in Lakeville left a woman in jail on a $100,000 bond. According to My FOX Boston, the accident took the life of a teenage driver.

The 23-year-old accused driver entered a plea of not guilty in Wareham District Court to charges of driving to endanger, driving under the influence of liquor with serious injury and negligence as well as marked lanes violations.

It happened at roughly 2:00 a.m. on Route 44 in Lakeville. According to accident reports, the collision was so powerful that it flipped both vehicles upside down. In addition to the teenage death, there was another occupant seriously injured in the wreck. When officers tested the driver at the scene, she returned a blood alcohol level (BAC) of nearly .15 percent. The limit in the state of Massachusetts is .08.

Our Lakeville car accident attorneys understand that prosecutors are accusing the woman of not only being drunk, but high as well. Drugged driving continues to be a problem not only in Massachusetts, but on roadways nationwide. Drugged driving is dangerous driving and oftentimes leads to death. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, about one out of every eight weekend, nighttime accidents involve a driver who tested positive for illicit drugs in 2010.

Overall, officials estimate that about 20 percent of all accidents in the U.S. are caused by drugged driving. What this means is that an estimated 6,760 people are killed, close to 450,000 people are injured and these accident run a tab of close to $60 billion each year.

The truth of the matter is that drugged driving poses threats to public safety, as evidenced by the number of fatal crashes each year on our county’s highways.

In recent years, more attention has been given to drugs other than alcohol that have increasingly been recognized as hazards to road traffic safety. Overall, marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug detected in impaired drivers, fatally injured drivers and motor vehicle crash victims. Other drugs also implicated include benzodiazepines, cocaine, opiates, and amphetamines.

Even with all the research on just how dangerous drugs can be for drivers, drugged driving laws have not been able to keep up with alcohol-related driving legislation. Many believe that this is because of the limitations of technology in determining specific levels of impairment based on levels of the drugs in the system. Detection of alcohol, through technology has developed a very effective means of measuring BAC and level of impairment. For drugs, other than alcohol, no such agreed upon standard like the BAC has been reliably demonstrated.

It’s important that you never get behind the wheel after consuming mind-altering drugs. It’s also important for you to understand that your everyday medications and prescription drugs can effect your reflexes and judgment behind the wheel.
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A woman was killed in a recent accident in Waltham, and her boyfriend has been arrested.

According to Wicked Local, the boyfriend was recently arrested and was charged with operating under the influence. The accident happened after their vehicle flipped on Main Street. He was following her vehicle as it happened.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s office reports that the two were leaving a party in Maynard and were heading home when it all happened. He remained at the crash site after the accident. According to officers, the boyfriend appeared to be intoxicated. He had bloodshot eyes, he was slurring his words and his balance was unsteady. He admitted that he had been drinking prior to the accident, but said that he didn’t know how the accident happened.

Our Waltham accident lawyers understand that there is no safe way to get home if you’re behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after drinking. You can have your buddies follow you, you can take roadways that aren’t populated — you can even use the one-eye-open trick. You are still a high risk to yourself and everyone else on the road There is never a time you should get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Your risks for an accident, serious injury and even death skyrocket.

After speaking with officers, the man was arrested because he refused to take a sobriety test. As they booked him, officers found a bottle of vodka in his coat pocket. He entered a plea of not guilty to his OUI charges.

According to police reports, the girlfriend was not wearing her seat belt when the vehicle flipped over. Officers are also citing speed as a factor in the accident.

According to Alcohol Alert, there were close to 350 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents in the state of Massachusetts in 2011. These accidents accounted for close to 40 percent of all of the car accidents recorded in the state for the year.

In 2010, there were fewer than 315 drunk driving-related fatalities in the state.

But why do people continue to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol? There are so many alternative and safe ways to get home.

Every year, there are thousands who are killed in these drunk driving car accidents. These accidents are completely preventable. You’re not only risking your own life, but you’re risking the lives of innocent people. Make the safe and responsible decision.

The first and most important thing you should do is designate a sober driver to get you home. If you’re stuck without a designated driver — don’t worry. You can call a taxi, call a friend or family member, make use of public transportation or stay the night somewhere.
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It may seem odd to wish someone a hangover, but it’s our sincere hope that this is the worst thing Boston St. Patrick’s Day revelers will be coping with the morning after. Too often, people end up with either a DUI or injuries sustained as a result of being hit by a drunk driver.

However, our Boston drunk driving accident attorneys continue to be baffled by how many people – even knowing the risk – will get behind the wheel of a vehicle after a full day or evening of drinking.

While we take no issue with the celebratory nature of the holiday, the problem is when someone overdoes it and then deems themselves in worthy shape to drive. It happens every year, without fail, sometimes to long-lasting or tragic consequences.

It’s truly senseless.

The City of Boston is taking special precautions to ensure safety, but ultimately, it will be up to individuals to plan accordingly and abide by those laws. Part of the city’s plan is to have all liquor retailers close by 4 p.m. Sunday and all bars to close by 4:30 p.m. The idea is to give people enough daylight to sober up and go home.

It’s worth noting that because a number of major thoroughfares are going to be shut down anyway due to the parade, familiar routes will no longer be available for traversing. This is one more way that officials are hoping to encourage the use of public transportation, as opposed to private modes.

Additionally, the Boston Police Department has announced plans to boost its patrols and visibility, in order to discourage people from driving after they’ve been drinking. The agency is also teaming up with local universities so that any student who is arrested for crimes like DUI or drunk and disorderly will not only face the criminal consequences, he or she will also be subject to additional penalties imposed by their school.

Officers indicated they will be conducting numerous, random walk-throughs of a number of city streets and bars, particularly those that are prone to host a large number of college students.

A number of officers are also being assigned to posts at various liquor sale establishments with the sole purpose of ensuring adherence to city and state ordinances regarding alcohol sales.

City officials advised celebrants to bear in mind the following:

• Public drinking won’t be tolerated, and violators will be subject to citation or arrest;
• Engaging in behavior such as destruction of property or fighting would be dealt with swiftly by local law enforcement teams;
• Failure to abide by police instructions to disperse peaceably will put you at risk for arrest;
• Public transportation and taxis will be available the entire day and all through the evening to assist those revelers who are too intoxicated to drive themselves home.

The NHTSA has a few tips as well, including:

• Be sure to designate a sober driver or have alternative transportation planned before you head out;
• Never ever let a friend drive intoxicated. Figure out a safe plan for them to get home.
• Do not get in a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.
• Always wear your seat belt, as it is one of the best defenses available against drunk drivers.

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Spring Training is a lot of fun for the fans, but it’s serious business for the players. Unfortunately, Red Sox picthing prospect Drake Britton had a little too much fun and is facing a driving under the influence charge, according to the Bleacher Report.

It all happened just before 5:00 a.m. Incident reports indicate that Britton was driving a pickup truck and traveling more than 110 miles per hour in an area with a 45 mile per hour speed limit. The prospective pitcher was being pursued by an officer when he veered between two moving vehicles, hopped over a curb and slammed into a fence. He continued down a dirt road where he finally came to a stop. When asked for his driver’s license, Britton handed over his debit card, according to ESPN Boston.

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand that the Red Sox prospect refused a breath test, but the officer noted bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and the smell of alcohol. He was arrested and booked for driving under the influence. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, this is the team’s second DUI incident in the last 2 years. Last Spring, Bobby Jenks was arrested on similar charges.

“Fortunately in this case, there was no one injured. But the bottom line is, it’s a very serious issue with us,” said manager John Farrell.

According to The Century Council, there were more than 110 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents in Massachusetts in 2010. Of these accidents, only about 20 percent of them reported a BAC between .08 and .14 percent. The rest of the fatalities involved an accident with a driver with a BAC of .15 percent or higher.

Drunk driving is a very serious problem and it comes with serious consequences. Not only do these irresponsible drivers run the risk of killing themselves or killing another traveler in an accident, but they face jail time, license revocation and some costly fines and fees.

In Massachusetts, you’re going to get your license taken away for 180 days if you refuse to take a breathalyzer. If you’re busted for drunk driving, you face jail time up to 30 months. You’re also looking at fines between $500 and $5,000. You also have to dish out $25 for an assessment and $50 for the DUI Victim Trust Fund. You can have your license suspended for a year and you could be assigned to complete a treatment program.

Drunk driving car accidents are completely preventable and the risks just aren’t worth it. Save a life, save some lives and stay out of jail by driving responsibly and driving sober each and every time. It’s just not worth it.
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Teenage drunk driving is a major problem in Boston and throughout the United States. Teenagers are inexperienced drivers under the best of circumstances and are more likely than their older counterparts to get into an accident and to hurt themselves or others. Teens who drive drunk are, of course, not in the best of circumstances and are taking a very significant risk with their own lives, the lives of passengers and the lives of every single other person who happens to be on the road at the time.

Recently, some schools have begun trying to take more active measures to curb teen drunk driving. Our Boston injury attorneys support efforts to reduce the dangers of drunk driving although there is some controversy as to whether the steps the schools have taken are legal or ethical. We believe that the rights of teens need to be respected, but that schools and parents should take some responsibility for educating teens on the dangers of drunk driving and imposing consequences for the behavior.

The Controversial Use of Breath Tests in Schools
According to Boston.com, two Massachusetts’ students who attend Weymouth High School have now sued the school system as a result of their suspensions following the homecoming dance. The students, both girls, were given a breath test after the homecoming dance.

Based on the results of the breath test, they were suspended for nine days under the school’s zero-tolerance policy for alcohol consumption. The state of Massachusetts also has a zero-tolerance policy for young drivers, who can have their license suspended for DUI even if they are below the .08 legal limit that applies to adults over 21.

The girls who were suspended suggest that the school district violated their due process rights and their civil rights. They contend they were not intoxicated at the time when the breath tests took place and they want their school records to be expunged by the district.

The case has, according to Boston.com, drawn attention to the use of breath tests in schools as a method of stopping student drinking. There are several schools in the area that use breath tests, including Hingham High School, which has been administering a test to every student attending school sponsored dances since 2006 when a problem occurred. Westwood High School has also used breath tests as a condition of entry for school dances for years. Spokespeople for both these schools indicate that there has not been an incident of alcohol use at dances since the breath test policy went into effect.

While these schools admitted to using breath tests, the Boston.com article indicates that there is no clear data on exactly how many schools are using this practice but that it is likely not that common. There are legal issues that must be addressed, which may explain why more schools aren’t doing it.

However, the Boston.com article also indicates that interest is growing since teen drunk drivers are often killed when coming or going from a school activity. The use of breath tests may have their greatest advantage not in catching teens who are drunk but instead in acting as a deterrent, preventing the kids from drinking before attending an event. If this is the case and if teens aren’t tested without reasonable cause, but are stopped from drinking and endangering themselves through the threat of a breath test, this could be a good step towards combatting the dangers of teen drunk driving.
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