Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog

The risks for drunk driving car accidents are only going to increase through the rest of the year. It all starts with Halloween.

To tackle that problem, officers throughout the state of Massachusetts are pushing their “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” campaign. From the 25th of October through the 4th of November, officers throughout the state searched our roadways for intoxicated drivers. The efforts will be continuing on however, as we just entered the two most dangerous months out of the year for these types of accidents.

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand that these risks are only supposed to get worse as more and more drunk drivers hit the roads through the long year-end holiday travel season. These increases come with football season and with the holidays. For these reasons, we’re asking drivers to have a plan — a plan to get home safely. You should never get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, even if you’re convinced you’re not drunk.

“Too often, impaired drivers never spend a minute to plan ahead for their designated driver,” said Hingham Traffic Sergeant Steven Dearth.

During the 2011 Halloween weekend, there were close to 120 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents. There were also close to 3,000 injuries and close to 15,000 arrests for these same incidents. The stats for 2012 have not been released yet, but with recent trends, we can only expect the worst. The problem is that drivers think they’re invincible behind the wheel. They think that since they’ve gotten away with it before, they’ll get away with it again. But it only takes once!

Let’s all work together to make the remainder of the year, also the most dangerous time of the year, to be one of the safest yet. All of these accidents are completely preventable with a little bit of planning. Be smart and be safe out there!

Drinking and Football Season:

We can all take some advice from the New England Patriots. They continue to urge football fans to drink responsibly. it’s true that football goes together with booze like peanut butter goes with jelly, but it’s important that you pair these responsibly. This is why the Patriots have launched their Designated Driver Program. Fans can register as a Designated Driver at Gillette Stadium and they will receive a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage. Designated drivers will also be eligible for entry in raffle prize drawings.

Underage drinking in Massachusetts:

Underage drinking cost the state close to $1.5 billion in 2010 alone. These costs include work loss, pain, suffering and medical care. You might think your teen isn’t going to drink because they’re too young, but the truth of the matter is that they can get their hands on it. As a matter of fact, of all of the teen drivers killed in car accidents in 2010, about a third of them tested positive for alcohol. Talk with your teen about these dangers today!
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Officers with the Boston Police Department arrested a man from North Attleboro in Dorchester over the weekend and are charging him with drunk driving. You’ll never believe it, but the man allegedly sprayed cologne in his mouth as he was being pulled over. Officers believe he did it to cover the smell of the alcohol that was on his breath.

It all happened when the reportedly intoxicated driver ran into a parked dump truck, belonging to Boston Water and Sewer, just before 9:00 p.m. at the intersection of Belden and Dudley streets. The driver of the dump truck got out of his vehicle and approached the other vehicle to get the driver’s information to file a report. He didn’t get much accomplished considering the intoxicated driver fell asleep in the middle of their conversation. At one point in the mix, the driver attempted to flee the scene but wasn’t able to because his vehicle was damaged so badly.

Our Dorchester drunk driving accident attorneys understand that the driver of the dump truck told officers, once they arrived on scene, that the alleged drunk driver sprayed his cologne into his mouth. Boston Police Officers saw him do it a second time and saw him spray it all over his body. According to accident reports, the man was not able to balance himself, his breath wreaked of alcohol and he had bloodshot eyes. They arrested the driver and have charged him with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, according to The Boston Globe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 110 annual incidents of residents drinking and driving. That’s right. Adults get behind the wheel that many times a year, and most of them are never busted.

“The four million adults who drink and drive each year put everyone on the road at risk,” said Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., Director with the CDC.

Each and every year, there are more than 10,000 people who are killed in these completely preventable car accident.

According to the most recent study from the CDC, men are more likely than women to get behind the wheel intoxicated — more than 80 percent more likely as a matter of fact.

The young the driver is the more likely they are to get into one of these accidents. Young men, those between the ages of 21 and 34, only accounted for about 10 percent of the nation’s population, but they accounted for more than 30 percent of all of the drinking and driving episodes in 2010.

Drinking and driving is no joke! As we round out the rest of 2012, these incidents are only expected to get more common, with the winter travel season and with the holiday season. Make sure you’re on your best behavior behind the wheel, you’re sober and you’re not spraying cologne in your mouth. Safe driving habits mean a safe trip and one trip less to the hospital.
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According to the latest reports, the number of drunk driving incidents among teenagers has dropped by close to 55 percent since 1991.

My FOX Boston reports officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are saying that while the decrease is something to be proud of, there is still much more that needs to be done to help to put an end to the risky driving behavior displayed by our newly-licensed drivers.

Although the numbers have dropped, drunk driving among teenagers is probably a little more common than they might ever have imagined. According to reports, high school students are estimated to drink and drive close to 2.5 million times each and every month. Of the students polled who admitted to drinking and driving at least once over the last 30 days, close to 90 percent of them report that they binge drank.

Our Quincy drunk driving car accident lawyers understand that teenagers are about three times more likely to get into a deadly car accident than any other age group of drivers. According to the CDC, about 20 percent of teen drivers who were involved in a deadly car accident in 2010 reported alcohol in their system. Among young residents who were surveyed for alcohol consumption, in people over the age of 12, guys were more likely than the gals to drive under the influence.

All too often, parents are naive and think just because they’re young driver isn’t legally allowed to purchase or to consume alcohol that they’re not going to do it. The truth of the matter is that booze is a popular commodity with high school kids nationwide. Be sure to talk with your kid about the dangers that are associated with consuming alcohol, not only the dangers for car accidents, but the risks that are associated with their health and with potentially going to jail. These are all potential life-changing risks, too!

The truth of the matter is than teens don’t just drink, because when they do — they drink a lot!

Who Reported Binge Drinking?

-More than 5 percent of 8th graders.

-More than 15 percent of high school sophomores.

-Close to 25 percent of high school seniors.

The U.S. Surgeon General reports that roughly 5,000 children who are under the age of 21 die every year because of underage drinking. Most of these fatalities are the result of car accidents, homicides and even suicides. Teens who drink are at some serious risks for other injuries, like lifelong alcohol usage and abuse. It’s important that parents and guardians start now in reducing these risks for our teens.

Talk with your teen about the risks, the dangers and the consequences that are associated with drinking and driving. Enact your own household driving rules to make sure that there are strict consequences for anyone who is busted drinking, let alone driving! Stay active in your child’s whereabouts. Know who they’re with, where they’re going, what they’ll be doing and when they’re planning on returning.
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Police officers in Hingham recently arrested a man who was allegedly driving under the influence — with two kids in the car. According to the Boston Globe, officers were alerted just before 7:00 p.m. by a 71-year-old man who said he was driving behind a vehicle that was swerving all over the road. When officers arrived on scene, they located the car and pulled it over.

Witnesses report that the car was “all over the road.” When everyone stopped at a red light, the witness who called the cops approached the driver and said he shouldn’t be driving. The driver pulled over and the guy who called the cops stopped right behind him with his hazard lights on. Officers report that they found a 7- and 10-year-old in the vehicle. The car was still running and was in “drive” as well. Officers also report that the man was slurring his words, his eyes were glassy and he smelled of alcohol. He was reportedly swaying in the driver’s seat, too.

Our Hingham car accident lawyers understand that intoxicated individuals don’t always make the best of decisions, like getting behind the wheel — with two kids in the car! Officers say that the man said he wasn’t drinking and he also agreed to sobriety tests. When he got out of the car, officers report that he fell back into the door of the car and started to stumble around. Officers had to grab him to stop him from falling. They attempted to conduct a sobriety test, but discontinued for the safety of the driver.

Eventually, he admitted to drinking, saying he only had two beers. Officers found an open bottle of water which they say smelled like liquor and not water. The man was 44-years-old and was from Connecticut. He was arrested and officials have charged him with driving on a suspended license, driving to endanger, driving with an open container, 2 counts of OUI with child endangerment and OUI Alcohol.

He has also been banned from driving in the state of Massachusetts pending payment of a license reinstatement fee. He was held at the Plymouth County House of Correction on a $250 cash bail.

The two kids in the car were taken to the police station and were eventually picked up by their mom. The Department of Children and Families filed a 51A on their behalf.

So far this year, police officers in Hingham have received about 350 phone calls for erratic operation. Officers are encouraging drivers to keep it up and report anyone displaying irresponsible driving habits.

When reporting a suspected drunk driver to officers, make sure that you report the details while keeping your distance. Get the make, color, model, location, direction and license plate number of the car and a description of the driver if possible. Don’t interact with the driver though and keep yourself safe!
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One man will be going to trial in March after being labeled a repeat offender — for drunk driving. In his most recent accident, he is being accused of causing the death of a local woman.

This was a five-car accident that happened back in February. According to that accident report, the driver was observed swerving through traffic erratically in Sheffield on Route 7. The vehicle slammed head-on into another vehicle and then slammed into another car before it finally stopped on top of another vehicle. One driver was pronounced dead on the scene.

According to The Berkshire Eagle, the 35-year-old driver has entered a not guilty plea to nine different charges, including operating to endanger, driving under the influence of alcohol, motor vehicle homicide and his fifth drunk driving offense. If found guilty on the motor vehicular homicide he could face 15 years behind bars.

Our drunk driving accident attorneys understand that drivers who are convicted of one drunk driving offense are likely to be convicted of another. As a matter of fact, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) reports that about a third of all drivers who are arrested for driving under the influence are actually repeat offenders. In 2010 alone, there were more than 1.4 million people who were arrested for drunk driving in the United States.

Drunk Driving Statistics:

-About half of all of the drivers who were killed in car accidents who returned positive test results for having drugs in their system also had alcohol in their system.

-For people over the age of 12, men were more likely than women to drive under the influence of alcohol.

-Drivers between the ages of 21 and 25 were most likely to drive while under the influence of alcohol. The second most common age group to engage in this dangerous behavior was those between the ages of 25 and 34.

-The average person is able to metabolize a drink an hour.

-Nothing can sober you up aside from time. Showers and coffee don’t help.

-There were close to 110 people killed in drunk driving car accidents in Massachusetts in 2010.

-In 2010, there were more than 210 kids who were killed in drunk driving car accidents in the U.S. Of these fatalities, more than 60 percent of them were riding in the car with the drunk driver.

-Drunk driving car accidents are much more common on weekend days rather than week days.

-Drunk driving car accidents are four times more common during the evening hours rather than during the daytime.

-Reports conclude that adult driver drank alcohol and got behind the wheel more than 110 million times in 2010. This means that it happened nearly 350,000 times each day.

-In 2011, there were close to 65,000 victims of drunk driving car accidents.

-There are close to 30 people who are killed in drunk driving car accidents in the country each day.

-Drunk driving car accidents cost the country more than $130 billion every year.

-Car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers. About a third of these accidents are alcohol related.

-Teen alcohol consumption kills about 6,000 people each year. That’s more than all illegal drugs combined.
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“We lost a soldier not to war, but to a drunk driver,” read the sign of a great-aunt who lost her niece in a drunk driving car accident. According to The Sun Chronicle, her great-niece was 24-years-old when the accident occurred. She was a mother and a member of the Massachusetts National Guard.

She was killed in an accident with an irresponsible and drunk driver. Members of the young girl’s family and even her younger brother stood along Route 152 last week, right down the road from where the accident happened, and displayed signs with a message — drunk driving kills!

“Too many people have lost a loved one to drunk driving. Get a designated driver and make sure this doesn’t happen to you,” said the victim’s great-aunt.

Our Attleboro drunk driving car accident lawyers understand the risks will remain high through the remainder of the year and the year-end holiday season. It’s an irresponsible move that can take your own life and can take the lives of innocent travelers around you. According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about a third of all fatal car accidents in the United States involve one of these irresponsible and careless drivers. In 2010 alone, there were close to 10,300 people who died in these accidents.

The Attleboro family is also asking for donations from members of the community to help to cover the costs of the funeral. They say that it’s not something that they had planned on and so it’s putting a hardship on them. They just want to help to spread the word about the dangers of drunk driving. One day, the family would like to start a foundation to try to help other families who have fallen victim to the consequences of drunk driving.

If you would like to make a donation, you can drop it off at any branch of the Bristol County Savings Bank. For monetary donations, please make out your donations to the Kaisha Lynn Guerrini Memorial Fund. This is going to help to benefit her son’s future educational needs.

Each and every year, there are thousands of people across the country who we lose because of drunk driviers. According to the NHTSA, there were more than 140 people who were killed in alcohol-related car accidents in 2010 in the state of Massachusetts. Of those who died, there were close to 100 who were killed in accidents involving a driver who was really drunk and had a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher. Close to 100 were killed in an accident involving a driver who was legally drunk, or .08 or higher.
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Recent news reveals that the number of drunk driving car accidents in Boston and elsewhere is up close to 10 percent for the first half of 2012.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is responding to this news and saying that now is as good of a time as ever to start cracking down on these irresponsible and careless drivers! Advocates urged the country to fully implement and double-down on the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. According to Jan Withers, the National President for MADD it’s time for all states to join the fight and to pass laws to make sure that all drunk driving offenders get an ignition interlock device.

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand that MADD has been pushing for the all-offender ignition interlock law since 2006.

Since that time, more than 15 states have enacted this law. According to accident and arrest reports, these systems are effective in preventing drunk driving car accidents. States like Oregon and Arizona have been able to enjoy a 50 percent reduction in these incidents since the passing of their laws. Another dose of good news is that the number of ignition interlock devices using by drunk driving offenders has more than doubled in the last few years, going from only about 100,000 to close to 280,000.

Drunk driving car accidents continue to take the lives of about a third of all people who are killed in car accidents every year. These kinds of accidents are actually 100 percent preventable. As a matter of fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and close to 20 other organizations that have conducted studies into the matter prove that these devices can cut down on the number of drunk driving offenses by close to 70 percent.

“If all states enacted and enforced effective interlock laws, the nation would reverse this alarming trend in highway deaths,” Withers said.

Back in July, Congress backed one of MADD’s anti-drunk driving campaigns and handed out over $20 million for an ignition interlock incentive grant program. This was all a part of the most recent advancement of the most recent transportation legislation — MAP-21. Under this program, states that pass this ignition interlock law for all offenders are able to get some of this funding to help to fund their programs.

In the state of Massachusetts, there were more than 100 people who were killed in car accidents that involved a driver who was legally drunk. These accidents and these fatalities accounted for 32 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year. In addition, there were another 150 people killed in car accidents that involved a driver who was under the influence of alcohol, but who was not considered to be legally drunk. None of these deaths had to happen!
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The guy has had his driver’s license taken away more than 20 times, but he continues to find himself in jail over and over and owing the state thousands of dollars — for repeated charges of driving under the influence of alcohol in Massachusetts.

According to Enterprise News, the 27-year-old driver has been busted for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs a number of times and for driving without a valid driver’s license. Safe driving advocates are saying that this is a perfect example as to why the state’s laws against drunk drivers aren’t effective in keeping these drivers from recommitting the crime.

“There always is some element who are incorrigible, who no matter what you do short of put them in prison are going to drink and drive,” said David Deiuliis with the Massachusetts Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand that Melanie’s Law here in Massachusetts is used to try to keep repeat drunk drivers off of the road. It was enacted back in 2005 after a 13-year-old girl from Marshfield was killed by a repeat offender. Unfortunately, this law only goes so far. The 27-year-old driver was indicted back in September on charges for his third-offense drunken driving. If he’s found guilty, then he could be sentenced to five years behind bars. Jail time doesn’t always stop these repeat offenders though.

The driver’s bad record started back in 2002 when he was only 16-years-old. He was busted for stealing/concealing a car in Brockton. His first drunk driving charge came just a year later in 2003. He was again slapped with a drunk-driving charge just 3 months later when he was 18. In 2004, he was charged with driving while under the influence of marijuana and again for drunk driving in 2005.

His most recent drunk driving charges come from a Brockton accident back in December of 2010. His driver’s license was revoked long before that, but that didn’t stop him from driving. He hopped in another person’s vehicle to go pick up a 7-year-old child. The accident happened when he allegedly drove the borrowed vehicle into a parked car, with the child passenger unbelted in the front seat. According to local officers, the man was so intoxicated that he wasn’t even able to tell authorities his birthday. He also couldn’t spell the kid’s name.

Since then, he’s been issued three different arrest warrants for violating the terms of his bail. He’s been sentenced to two months in jail without bail twice since 2010. One of these sentences stemmed from a bust for driving without a driver’s license and for driving with an open container.

Judges ordered him to wear a GPS monitoring device after that. The grand jury from Plymouth County handed up indictments against the driver back in September.

In addition to drunk driving (felony), he is also facing a charge of reckless endangerment of a child.
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Our Boston drunk driving accident attorneys have recently been discussing the impact of football season on drunk driving. We’ve talked about the details regarding our local college teams and their tailgate parties, but we’ve got a whole ‘nother game go worry about — the NFL!

Officials with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have recently joined forces with the National Football League (NFL) to urge fans to join in on the designated driver game. This is one of the most important positions to play during the season. To help to get more fans to use designated drivers, and to get people to volunteer to be a designated driver, officials with MADD will be at many NFL games during the fall season to promote driver safety. This is the third year in a row in which officials have reached out to help to make sure everyone makes it home from these games safely!

Typically, tailgate parties are not legal, but they are overlooked because everyone does it anyway. However, there are a few places that enforce the “No Tailgating Policy”. According to the books, you can tailgate in only two areas here in Massachusetts. They are the Foxboro Stadium and The Tweeter Center (Great Woods). If you try having a tailgate party anywhere else, like the Fleet Center or Worcester Centrum, you run the risk of being arrested for public drinking.

Officials with MADD and with the NFL are also working to prevent the near 6,000 alcohol-related fatalities that happen every year to teenagers. Teenagers can take a stand against underage drinking by taking the pledge through MADD’s Power of You(th) Facebook page. The pledge helps teens to stay away from the booze until they’re 21-years-old. It also asks them to take the pledge to stay out of the vehicle of any driver who has been consuming alcohol. When a teen takes this pledge, they’re automatically entered into a drawing to win official NFL gear from their favorite team!

There were close to 120 people who were killed in drunk driving car accidents in the state of Massachusetts in 2010. In addition to these fatalities, there were close to 3,000 injuries. Officials were able to make arrests of nearly 15,000 intoxicated drivers, too.

The saddest part about these kinds of accidents is that they’re completely preventable. There is never anything or anyone forcing an intoxicated person to get behind the wheel. But there can be someone to stop someone from driving. Be a safe and responsible fan this season and make sure your NFL family makes it home safe!
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