Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog
Our drunk driving injury lawyers in Massachusetts are following legal efforts aimed at drunk drivers across New England as the 2019 legislative session begins in earnest.
Massachusetts ranks in the middle of the pack, placing 22nd in a scoring of legal efforts in all 50 states to reduce the risk of drunk driving collisions. And, while the Commonwealth ranked 13th when it comes to criminal penalties for violators, we ranked just 44th in the nation when it comes to prevention efforts, only Iowa, Montana, Idaho, and North and South Dakota Ranked worse. When it comes to criminal penalties, Massachusetts got relatively high marks for felony DUI prosecutions and life-time look-back when it comes to taking into account previous drunk driving convictions. However, no mandatory minimum sentences for first time offenses and a relatively short 90-day administrative license suspension reduced our score.
Washington D.C. tied for dead last when it comes to prevention efforts, the consequences of which are becoming apparent. WJLA News in Washington, D.C., reports the number of drunk-driving deaths is on the rise in the nation’s capital, despite fewer drunk-driving crashes being reported to police. Despite fewer crashes, the number of deaths increased dramatically, from 59 in 2016 to 86 in 2017. In many cases, enforcement statistics are a measure of enforcement efforts.