Articles Posted in Drunk Driving Victims

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is rolling out a host of drunk driving enforcement efforts for the holidays as law enforcement works to reduce the risk of drunk driving accidents in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and elsewhere in South Florida.

Too frequently, our Fort Myers accident attorneys are called to help a family in the wake of a tragedy caused by the senseless acts of a driver who has climbed behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

As part of National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, law enforcement is reminding motorists that more than 21,000 crashes in Florida last year were attributed to alcohol and drugs.

“The holiday season is a time to celebrate, and no one should have to suffer the loss of a loved one at the hands of a drunk or drugged driver,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp. “I am pleased to see our law enforcement agencies and safety advocates taking proactive measures to make the roadways safer for residents and for those visiting the Sunshine State during the holidays.”

Motorists are being reminded that the cost of a drunk driving conviction can be as high as $20,000, including fines, court costs, attorney fees, increased insurance premiums and prison and probation. Unfortunately, drunk driving crashes have been on the rise, even as the overall number of fatalities has declined.

“As traffic crashes and fatalities steadily drop each year, it is disconcerting to see drug-related injuries and crashes rise, which is exactly what happened between 2008 and 2009,” said Florida Highway Patrol Director, Colonel John Czernis. “The Florida Highway Patrol will participate in the nationwide, Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. national crackdown this month to enforce Florida’s tough DUI law. In addition, the Department will propose legislative changes this Spring that further strengthen the law as it pertains to drugged driving.”

Florida drunk driving facts:

-Forty-four percent of fatal crashes in Florida last year involved drugs or alcohol.

-Drug-related injuries increased by more than 19 percent last year.

-Drug-related crashes increased by more than 11 percent.

-New Year’s experienced the highest fatality rate per hour. More than half of the 34 fatal crashes last year involved alcohol.

-28 people died in Christmas holiday crashes last year on Florida roads.

Please celebrate the holidays responsibly:

-Plan ahead. Designate a driver.

-Take the keys. Make sure friends don’t drive drunk.

-As a party host, require designated drivers or other plans to avoid guests leaving your party impaired.

-Obey warning labels on prescription medication.

Dial *FHP (*347) to report impaired drivers.
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The Florida Highway Patrol will utilize every officer on the force — including reserve officers, administrative staff and volunteers, to combat the risk of drunk driving accidents over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Our car accident attorneys in Fort Myers and Cape Coral urge you to enjoy the weekend with your family and to celebrate responsibly. For more than three decades, we have remained committed to fighting for the rights of families whose lives have been devastated by a drunk driver. These tragedies occur around the holidays with devastating frequency.

The Fort Myers News-Press reports that local authorities will also be on the lookout for impaired drivers and motorists who are a danger to themselves or others.

The patrol will also be on the lookout for aggressive drivers and incidents of road rage.

“The Florida Highway Patrol is committed to making Florida’s highways safe, and we plan to do that by bolstering our forces to reduce the number and severity of crashes,” said FHP Director, Colonel John Czernis. “During this hectic time, it is easy to lose your temper while driving as evidenced by recent incidents of road rage. Our troopers are prepared to take immediate action to stop others from placing innocent lives at risk, whether the weapon is a gun or a vehicle.”

The Naples Daily News reports hotel bookings have rebounded from last year, signaling what should be a busy weekend in South Florida. With Thanksgiving also signaling the traditional start of the winter tourism season, this weekend is a good time to start reminding yourself to allow extra time and patience to reach your destination.

Last year, 36 motorists were killed over the Thanksgiving holiday making Florida one of the nation’s deadliest states for holiday traffic accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 354 traffic fatalities were reported over last year’s Thanksgiving Holiday.
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Law enforcement agencies will be out in force this week, making sure the scariest thing about Halloween weekend isn’t the other motorists on the road.

As our Fort Myers injury attorneys reported last week on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, the Halloween weekend is also a dangerous time for pedestrian accidents and accidents involving premise liability, including dog attacks.

But drunk driving accidents in Fort Myers remain one of the primary threats to a safe enjoyment of the weekend. And Fort Myers police and law enforcement agencies statewide will be out in force. Last year, 1,004 motorists were killed in drunk driving accidents in Florida, according to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

A total of 617 drunk driving accidents in Lee County were reported, claiming 25 lives.

Statewide, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol will join local law enforcement in a “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” Campaign through Sunday night.

“There is not a Halloween costume clever enough to hide an impaired driver who has made the poor decision to get behind the wheel,” said FHP Director, Colonel John Czernis. “Whether you’ve had one too many or way too many it is just not worth the risk. Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Our troopers will be vigilant in their efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roadways.”

Fort Myers Police Chief Doug Baker said one of the department’s goals remains to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents. Unfortunately, the 133 people arrested for drunk driving so far this year is 17 percent more than during the same period of time last year.

“Sadly, that slogan you may have heard on the radio and on television, “Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” hasn’t reached many drivers,” Baker wrote in a News-Press column recently. “Avoid the use of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle and always make use of a designated driver if you have consumed alcohol. Don’t become a statistic; remember that the life you save may be your own!”

Safe driving tips from the Highway Patrol:

-Plan a safe way home before festivities begin.

-Designate a sober driver.

-If impaired, phone a friend, use a taxi or rely on public transportation.

-Report drunk drivers by calling *FHP (*347)
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Our injury attorneys in Cape Coral and Fort Myers were glad to hear that sobriety checkpoints will continue in the Cape despite a loss of grant funding.

For years, Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, have supported sobriety checkpoints conducted in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Our attorneys have spent evenings on the scene. And we have been invited to ride with the Wolf Packs — roving saturation patrols of officers looking to take drunk drivers off the street. And we are proud supporters of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Mobile Eyes, which offers cash rewards to motorists who report drunk drivers.

Some of the most tragic cases we have handled as a firm have involved drunk driving accidents in Cape Coral and Fort Myers or traffic accidents caused by intoxicated drivers elsewhere in South Florida.

While our Fort Myers injury lawyers and Cape Coral accident attorneys are encouraged by the decline in drunk driving accidents reported last year, we share the concern of MADD and other organizations that understand how much work remains to be done.

As we reported recently on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, Fort Myers drunk driving accidents, and drunk driving accidents nationwide, still account for about one-third of all traffic fatalities. Last year, 10,839 motorists were killed in crashes involving alcohol.

“MADD is pleased to see that the new drunk driving fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows drunk driving fatalities have declined,” said Mothers Against Drunk Driving President Laura Dean-Mooney. “This decline means that fatalities have been almost cut in half since MADD was founded in 1980.”

A high-tech device being tested by a defense contractor in Massachusetts has the potential to virtually eliminate drunk driving accidents in Fort Myers and throughout the nation.

It is a revolutionary possibility and one that our Fort Myers accident attorneys hope will ultimately bring an end to the senseless tragedies too often caused by drunk drivers.

The Boston Globe reports the technology would test the blood-alcohol level of a driver with the push of a button, and prevent cars from starting if alcohol is detected. If made standard equipment in all new vehicles, the federal government estimates as many as 9,000 of the nation’s 11,000 drunk driving deaths could be prevented each year. Only the 15,000 lives saved by seat belts could claim a bigger impact on traffic safety.

A more rudimentary technology is already in use today in the form of ignition interlock devices, which can be required of those convicted of drunk driving. The machines require a breath test before permitting a car to start.

The new technology is being developed with the assistance of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of a $10 million study. The disclosure comes after criticism of the government’s recent traffic safety efforts and the revelation that 8 percent of motorists — or some 17 million Americans — admitted to driving drunk last year.

As we reported last week on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog the insurance industry has pushed for such technology to be mandated in new automobiles and has criticized the U.S. Department of Transportation for not doing enough to force automakers to comply.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving said drunk driving fatalities have declined by 44 percent in the 30 years of the organization’s existence. But the organization is renewing its fight through advocacy for such new technologies, as well as the use of ignition interlock devices, sobriety checkpoints and other enforcement efforts.

“We must continue our work to make American families safe from the dangers of drunk driving and underage drinking,” said MADD President Laura Dean-Mooney. “Lives are at stake.”
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Viewers will likely see a blitz of “Over the Limit. Under Arrest” television commercials this week and next. And motorists will see increased enforcement through the Labor Day weekend as authorities aim to reduce the threat of drunk driving accidents in Fort Myers and the surrounding area.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but also the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said FHP Director, Colonel John Czernis. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses. Do not take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you can expect to be under arrest.”

For four decades, our Fort Myers accident attorneys have built a reputation for providing compassionate and aggressive representation to families dealing with the serious injury or death of a loved one in a drunk driving crash. Through our work with law enforcement at sobriety checkpoints and our support for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Mobile Eyes and other safety efforts, we remain dedicated to fighting for the rights of clients whose lives have been changed by the senseless acts of a driver who has climbed behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

A recent report in the Fort Myers News-Press revealed that Cape Coral has the third-highest rate of drunk driving accidents of any major city in Florida.

The news comes as the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles releases accident data for 2009. The statistics show a record drop in the number of fatal car accidents, from 2,983 in 2008 to 2,563 in 2009. However, our Cape Coral car accident attorneys expect Florida to rank as one of the most dangerous states in the nation for all types of traffic accidents when the federal government releases statistics in the coming weeks.

Historically, Florida has joined California and Texas in reporting the highest number of car accidents, drunk driving accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, trucking accidents and boating accidents.