Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog

In the near future, parking valets may have the power to prevent drunk driving car accidents in Massachusetts. No, they’re not going to inherit some magical powers, but they may be soon be required to keep your keys if they feel you’re too intoxicated to drive.

According to 7News, a city council member is looking to make that a law. You may remember an accident that happened back in December 2010 in which a driver who was convicted of hit-and-run had just had his car keys returned by a valet driver. Officials argued it was obvious the man was drunk. That accident caught the attention of Boston city councilman, Rob Consalvo, who knew something had to be done.

Our Massachusetts drunk driving car accident attorneys understand that Consalvo has recently proposed making a law that would allow a valet driver to stop those under the influence of alcohol from getting behind the wheel. According to 7News, a number of valet companies already do this, but it’s not a law. The question many ask is whether this should be required of all valets.

“I would love the city of Boston to be the city with the least drunken driving instances in the country,” said Councilman-At-Large Felix G. Arroyo.

According to Consalvo, valet drivers would need to be trained, much like managers and bartenders, to deal with an intoxicated person. There are signs you must be able to recognize and there are strategic ways to deal with these individuals to avoid any confrontation.

“If they’re going to make it a law, there has to be some training behind it,” said Dan Donahue of Lenox Hotel.

Some people are worried about shifting liability. According to Consalvo, valet drivers are guilty if they’re handing over the keys to people who are clearly drunk anyway, saying that yes they are already liable in a way. He says they’re not targeting valet drivers as the criminals or the cause of the situations, but he’s looking to them as a way recruit help in an attempt to reduce the risks of these types of accidents.

“We want to make sure that if, for some reason, someone doesn’t recognize the situation, we aren’t held accountable for someone else’s actions,” said Joshua Lemay, director of operations at Ultimate Parking.

In 2009, there were more than 330 people who were killed in drunk driving car accidents in the state of Massachusetts. These were accidents that involved a driver who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or .08 or higher. There were also another 110 people who were killed in alcohol-related car accidents, meaning a driver with a BAC of .01 to .07 was involved. A number of these accidents could have been prevented if valet drivers were trained and required to keep the keys from drivers who they felt had consumed too much alcohol. Maybe with Consalvo, that idea can be exercised in the near future.
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Recently, the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) was listed in TIME MAGAZINE as one of the best inventions of 2011. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is pleased with the progress of the new device, which was created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTSA) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, and its ability to help reduce the risks of drunk driving car accidents in Boston and elsewhere.

According to TIME, the developers that are testing the device used “touch- and breath-based sensors that could be strategically placed on steering wheels and ignition push buttons to instantly measure drivers’ blood alcohol concentration. The sensors would automatically analyze a driver’s breath or skin to determine whether or not he or she was fit to drive.”

Our Boston Drunk Driving car accident attorneys understand that the device is still in the testing stages and could be a part of our motor vehicles before 2014. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is on board and is supporting the new device as well. According to the Secretary of USDOT, Ray LaHood, this could be the device we need to help to drastically reduce the risks of alcohol-related traffic accidents. With the new device, drunk drivers could be stopped in their tracks, before they are event to start up their motor vehicle.

Recently, LaHood, Administrator Strickland, Shane Karr with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Laura Dean-Mooney with MADD met together to take their first look at the DADSS device. It was developed in Waltham, Massachusetts at the QinetiQ lab.

The device could potentially keep drivers from starting their vehicle if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) tests at a 0.08 or higher. Researchers say that the device could be voluntarily installed into new-model vehicles. Some devices would test through touch while the other tests by breath samples.

According to data from the NHTSA, drivers who are involved in fatal car crashes and have a BAC of 0.08 or above are nearly 10 times more likely to have a previous conviction for driving under the influence. Once these devices are stalled into the vehicle of those who have already been convicted of driving while intoxicated, officials believe that the number of drunk driving accidents will significantly decrease.

“Drunk driving continues to be a national tragedy that needlessly claims the lives of thousands of people on our highways each year,” said Secretary LaHood. “We need to put an end to it.”

Dean-Mooney is now a widow and a single mother because a drunk driver took the life of her husband. She says that she is proud of the progress that has been made with the DADSS device. She says that she’s glad that automakers are stepping up to prevent these types of accidents.

The device is being developed under a $10 million, five-year cooperative initiative.

The next stage of the research and development could happen by the end of the year. This phase would allow practical demonstrations of the devices.
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Boston’s getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday and to cheer on the New England Patriots all the way to the big win. What the city is also getting ready for is the increase in risks for drunk driving accidents in Boston. According to the Examiner, law enforcement agencies across the country are planning to up their enforcement efforts to keep intoxicated drivers off of our roadways during the big game. In recent years, Super Bowl weekend had been ranked as one of the biggest days out of the entire year for alcohol-related traffic accidents.

This year’s Super Bowl may be in Indianapolis, but residents throughout the country and especially in New England and New York are asked to be careful on our roadways. Kickoff is planned to start at 6:30 p.m. EST. This isn’t the Patriot’s first time to the Super Bowl. Back in 2004, the Patriots played the Carolina Panthers. During the 2004 Super Bowl Sunday, there were nearly 100 traffic accident fatalities. During that year, the Super Bowl was ranked as the second most dangerous time on our roadways for drunk driving accidents, behind New Year’s Day. In 2004, nearly 65 percent of those Super Bowl Sunday traffic fatalities were alcohol-related.

Our Boston drunk driving car accident attorneys understand that the about there were more than 10,225 people killed in drunk driving accidents in 2010. Holidays are typically a time when we see a spike in alcohol-related traffic accidents. Super Bowl Sunday has been deemed as an unofficial American holiday, and residents are asked to plan out their celebration activities before it’s too late. Make sure that everyone has a safe and sober ride home. We want to celebrate a win and celebrate safe roadways. Do your part to make our roadways safer during Super Bowl XLVI safer than ever! According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about 175,000 people have already made the pledge to be a designated driver this Sunday.

Are you inviting your friends and family members over for a Super Bowl celebration to cheer on the New England Patriots? We’re asking all party hosts to take a moment to review a few safety tips that could help to save lives.

Avoid Drunk Driving at your Super Bowl Party:

-Find a way to reward drivers who pledge to stay sober. Offer them with a prime spot to watch the game and make sure their non-alcoholic beverage is always full.

-Make sure to offer plenty of food at your party.

-Serve your guests only one drink at a time. Make sure your drinks aren’t too strong.

-Have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available.

-Be sure that everyone is old enough to consume alcohol at your party.

-Ask those who are drinking to hand over their car keys.

-Set a cut off time for when you’ll stop serving alcohol. It’s recommended that this time be at least one hour before the end of the party.

-Make sure to have phone numbers of local cab companies readily available.

-Make room for guests. Assume that friends or family members will stay the night.

We’re hoping for a win and we’re hoping you’ll cheer on New England responsibly.
GO PATRIOTS!
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We’ve started a New Year and it’s time to make even more attempts at reducing the risks of drunk driving car accidents in Boston and elsewhere. But before we do, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) would like to take a look at the past year and recognize the achievements made to help to curb these types of accidents.

Our Boston drunk driving car accidents understand that some beneficial changes have been made to help to reduce the risks of alcohol-related car accidents. The truth of the matter is that there were still more than 10,835 people who were killed in these types of accidents in 2009. This is the latest detailed report of accidents available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). During that year, there were nearly 150 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the state of Massachusetts. With a New Year, we’re provided with a clean slate in the fight against these irresponsible drivers and completely preventable accidents.

In 2011, MADD recognizes the following achievements:

-Being able to serve nearly 100,000 survivors, victims and others who have been impacted by either drugged or drunk driving.

-The use of ignition interlock devices reached 15 new states with more strict drunk driving conviction sentences.

-MADD was able to hold the first annual PowerTalk21 Day®.

-The advocacy group celebrated its 5th anniversary of the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® through its release of the Report to the Nation.

-The number of drunk driving statistics was cut in half for the first since MADD began.

-MADD was able to hold more than 50 Walk Like MADD events nationwide.

MADD says that the fight isn’t over just yet. Still, there are more than 10,000 people who are killed in drunk driving car accidents in the country every year. Thousands more are injured in these preventable accidents, too.

With the New Year and with your support, MADD says that it will continue to push for more advanced car features to help to stop alcohol-impaired drivers in their tracks. The advocacy group also says that it will continue to encourage and to help parents to talk with their teenage drivers about the risks that are associated with drinking and driving. Remember that just because our teenagers aren’t of legal age to consume alcohol, it doesn’t mean that they can’t get it and that they won’t get behind the wheel after doing so.

That’s not all. MADD is also going to continue to push for more sobriety checkpoints around the country, not only on major holidays but randomly throughout the year. They’ll be continuing on in the efforts to recruit designated drivers and will continue to offer assistance to those who have experienced one of these tragic events.
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After speeding passed a police cruiser, a Massachusetts driver was stopped and arrested for drunk driving. It wasn’t the speed alone that steered cops to the out-of-control driver — it was the fact that he was speeding passed the police cruiser with just three tires on his vehicle, according to FOX6. The man was pulled over in New Hampshire as he passed officers working another traffic stop. Officers said they heard the noise, saw the car and then pulled over the 22-year-old driver. Officers don’t know how long the young driver had been riding on the rim, but they do believe that the man was under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.

The busy holiday season may be over and risks for drunk driving car accidents in Massachusetts have decreased, but the truth of the matter is that our roadways are still plagued with these irresponsible drivers. In 2009, there were nearly 350 traffic fatalities in the state of Massachusetts resulting from alcohol-related car accidents. Of those accident fatalities, roughly 130 were the result of alcohol-related accidents while more than 100 were the result of drunk driving accidents.

Our Boston drunk driving car accident lawyers understand that these types of car accidents are a real threat on our roadways throughout the year. We made it through the holiday season and through the National Safety Council‘s (NSC) 600 predicted traffic fatalities for that time period, but it’s a whole new year with new risks. This is the second entry of a 6-part blog in which we are discussing simple New Year’s resolutions that you and your family can take to help make our roadways safer in 2012. In the first entry we discussed the risks and dangers associated with distracted drivers. This blog will provide you with simple steps to avoid driving drunk and to ultimately avoid a potentially fatal accident.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is here to offer you safety tips to stay safe and sober behind the wheel. By following these few tips and sharing them with friends and family, we can all do our part to reduce the risks of fatal accidents. Safer roadways start with you. Step up and make the resolution to remain safe and sober behind the wheel in 2012.

Drunk Driving Safety Tips:

-Never drive if you’ve had anything to drink. You’re compromising your ability to drive safely with any amount of alcohol in your blood, even when your blood alcohol content is well below the state’s legal limit of 0.08.

-Never let friends drive drunk. If you see someone who has been drinking and is about to get behind the wheel, take their car keys and help them to make safe arrangements home.

-Party with a plan. If you know you’ll be consuming alcohol, designate a sober driver before the party starts. If you’re not using a driver, make sure you use public transportation, walk or stay at a safe place for the night.

-Remember that the average drunk driving charge costs roughly $8,000. Subsequent convictions bring higher costs and imprisonment.

-Alcohol and medications don’t mix!

-If you think you see a drunk driver on our roadways, steer clear. Call 9-1-1 to report the driver.

-Don’t think that bicycling drunk is any safer. Alcohol impairs your ability to ride a bike, too.

-If you’re throwing a party, make sure guests are sober before leaving. Offer non-alcohol beverages for designated drivers.
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The official “big” holiday period — Christmas and New Year’s — may be over and the year may be gone, but the party isn’t over. In 2012, there will surely be plenty of times to celebrate and toast with friends and family members. All holidays see a spike of drunk driving car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere skyrocket. For this reason, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is reminding drivers that a majority of fatal car accidents during holidays are in fact alcohol-related. They are asking residents to party with a safe plan.

Our Boston drunk driving car accident attorneys understand there were nearly 150 alcohol-related accident fatalities in 2009 in the state of Massachusetts. Of those accident fatalities, nearly 110 of them were the result of drunk driving traffic accidents. These types of accidents accounted for roughly a third of all traffic accident fatalities throughout the year.

With the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season behind us, we have another year to make it through. In 2012, we’re all sure to attend some excellent parties, gatherings and celebrations. It’s important to party responsibly to help make our roadways safer for everyone.

Before the heading out to celebrate, MADD is asking that all residents:

-Always plan safe parties.

-Send friends and family members reminders before the party to urge them to stay sober behind the wheel.

-Review the “How to Spot a Drunk Driver” tips (posted below) before heading out to your celebrations.

-Offer to be the designated driver.

-Offer non-alcohol beverages at your party for the designated driver.

Remember to put safety as your top priority during every party. Assign yourself a designated driver or offer to be one, as well as remind others to do the same.

Help protect your friends, your family and your community by reporting anyone on our roadways who you believe to be intoxicated behind the wheel. Follow the tips listed below to help you to identify a tipsy driver.

A Drunk Driver Might Be:

-Accelerating and decelerating rapidly.

-Tailgating others on the roadway.

-Weaving in and out of traffic or across empty roadways.

-Driving anywhere other than on the road. Report vehicles that are driving along medians, bike lanes, etc.

-Coming close to hitting another vehicle, curb or fixed object.

-Stopping for no reason or braking erratically.

-Drifting in an out of marked lanes of traffic.

-Signals that aren’t consistence with the driver’s actions.

-Having a slow response time to road signs to other traffic signals.

-Straddling the center lane marker.

-Driving with the vehicle’s headlights off when it’s dark outside.

-Driving at least 10 mph under the posted speed limit.

-Turning illegally or abruptly.

-Driving into oncoming traffic.

-Driving on the wrong side of the road.
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Every year, the holiday season brings an absurd increase in the number of drunk driving car accidents in Taunton and elsewhere throughout the state. According to national statistics, Thanksgiving through New Year’s sees nearly 20 percent of drunk driving accidents across the country for the year. That’s just over a month, proving how dangerous our roadways can be during the holidays.

We recently reported on our Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog about the expected increase in these types of accidents over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods. We talked about the roughly 11,000 deaths that occur each year because of alcohol-related accidents, as well as the frequency of these types of accidents throughout the holiday season.

Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys understand that there were a significant number of drunk driving arrests and accidents throughout the Taunton area and its surrounding communities just over the last week and a half. Many of these accidents occurred as friends and family members ventured home after consuming alcohol at bars and at home gatherings. During this time, law enforcement efforts were increased significantly to try and apprehend the intoxicated drivers before they had a chance to cause serious accidents on our roadways.

The Massachusetts Office for Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that every year alcohol is involved in nearly 60 percent of fatal car accidents on New Year’s. The average rate of accident rate for alcohol-related crashes is just 40 percent throughout the remainder of the year.

Fatal Taunton Alcohol-Related Accidents over the Holidays:

-One of the fatal drunk driving accidents that happened in Taunton during the holiday period occurred on Highland Street in the early morning hours. During this time, a male driver was arrested for operating under the influence after he drove his car into the stone wall of a house.

-Another accident happened on Brook Street, when a female driver got into a two-car accident. She was also arrested for driving under the influence. Luckily, no one was seriously injured in this crash.

-A third arrest happened when officers located a man in Rehoboth as he sat in his vehicle on the roadside. It was Christmas and the driver told officers he was on his way home to East Providence and had only drank three glasses of wine and some beer.

-A fourth accident landed an 18-year-old driver in jail after he slammed a Blazer into another vehicle. The young driver was arrested Christmas Eve for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Raynham Police Chief James Donovan says that he and his officers see a significant increase in the number of drunk driving offenses during the holidays. He adds officers are aware of this trend, and are working diligently to try to find out if a driver has been drinking or not when they make routing traffic stops during this time.

Massachusetts Driving Stats:

-There were more than 310 drunk driving-related deaths in the state in 2010.

-There were roughly 340 drunk driving-related deaths in the state in 2009.
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Mothers Against Dunk Driving (MADD) recently took time to reflect on all they had achieved during 2011 to help reduce the risks of drunk driving car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere. MADD says all of their accomplishments could not have been done without the help of the public, and thanks everyone for pitching in to make our roadways safer and out future’s brighter.

Our Boston drunk driving car accident lawyers understand that the fight against drunk drivers is far from over. Every year there are more than 10,000 people killed nationwide in drunk driving accidents. Hundreds of thousands more people are injured in these types of incidents. We’re asking that all residents join the fight alongside MADD to help reduce the risks of the drunk driving accidents in Massachusetts and nationwide. Drunk driving car accidents are completely preventable with the practice of responsible decisions.

MADD’s 2011 Achievements:

-Nearly 100,000 survivors, victims and others who were impacted by impaired drivers were served by the organization.

-MADD was able to extend the laws in 15 states to require ignition interlocks.

-The organization held their first PowerTalk21 Day.

-MADD celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. During this celebration, the organization released a Report to the Nation.

-A milestone was reached in cutting the number of drunk driving by more than half since the MADD was started.

-There were more than 50 Walk Like MADD events across the country.

But the fight isn’t over. MADD has some big plans for 2012. The organization will continue to push for higher caliber technology to prevent intoxicated drivers from turning on a car and driving off. MADD is also working on even more effective dialogue that parents can use to talk with their children about the risks of drinking before the age of 21, along with the dangers and consequences associated with drunk driving. Lastly, Mothers Against Drunk Driving will work to get even more sobriety checkpoints on United States’ roadways, encourage drinkers to go out with a designated driver and to continue to help victims and families affected by the irresponsible and tragic accidents.

Wondering how you can help? Make a pledge to remain sober behind the wheel. Lowering the statistics starts with you, but you can also do your part to help your friends. Make sure everyone has a designated driver. Keep an eye on friends and family members. If you see someone you love about to get in a vehicle after consuming alcohol, stop them. Your responsible planning and interventions can help to save lives on our roadways through another year.
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A 37-year-old Massachusetts woman, is currently facing charges of hitting and killing a woman as she was driving under the influence of alcohol, according to The Boston Globe. Her drunk driving accident in Massachusetts landed her in some big legal trouble. She failed to realize the consequences before getting behind the wheel after consuming far too much alcohol — more than twice the legal limit, to be exact.

“I killed somebody…This is going to change my whole life,” she told the newspaper.

Our Boston drunk driving car accident lawyers understand that the woman pleaded guilty to one count of motor-vehicle homicide while drunk. The woman was placed in jail with a $50,000 cash bail during that arraignment. According to officers, her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was tested twice immediately after the accident. Both times, the breathalyzer returned a 0.18 reading, more than twice the legal limit.

The driver told the paper she doesn’t care what happens with the outcome of the sentencing, as long as she doesn’t lose her home in the process. The husband of the woman killed says the defendant didn’t show any remorse to what she had done.

It all happened when the victim was standing in a parking lot loading doughnuts in her vehicle for her church’s early morning services. She was struck from behind as she loaded the goods into her car.

The woman’s husband was standing on the other side of the car when the accident happened. He says that the driver was speeding when she barreled toward their vehicle. He yelled to his wife, but there wasn’t enough time. His wife was pinned between the two vehicles and died in the arms of her husband as she told him she loved him.

The woman who was killed in the accident had cared for more than 200 foster children. She gathered Christmas gifts for young ones in her community and provided hot meals for the the less fortunate around Thanksgiving time. She and her husband were active parishioners at Sacred Hearts Church.

Reports indicate the defendant sobbed during her arraignment, which ended with her being escorted out in handcuffs. The woman had no prior criminal record and had been out on bail from the initial arrest made by officers in Haverhill after the early morning accident.

Since 2006, she has only been issued one previous traffic citation for speeding and had two surchargeable accidents, according to officials. She was also reportedly undergoing treatment for depression, which included prescription drugs as part of the treatment.

If she is bailed out of jail then she will have to wear a GPS monitoring device and will be tested for alcohol consumption at her home. If she’s convicted of the charges, she faces at least a minimum of one year behind bars.
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