Impairment a Risk this Holiday Travel Season

The National Safety Council is urging motorists to consider all forms of impairment this holiday travel season.

For more than 20 years, drivers with alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 have remained involved in about one-third of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. That’s about 10,000 lives lost every year. Our car accident lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral have made fighting for the rights of drunk-driving collision victims a primary focus since 1971.

We remain active this holiday season in supporting the Lee County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and have long supported DUI checkpoints and increased patrols conducted by local law enforcement agencies, including the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Cape Coral Police Department.

Distraction, Drugs, Fatigue, Impair Driver Judgment

However, the NSC is reminding motorists that alcohol intoxication is only one form of impairment behind the wheel.

Drugs: The increasingly permissive laws on marijuana use, combined with the nationwide opioid epidemic, have significantly increased the risks of collisions caused by drivers impaired by something other than alcohol.

Fatigue: Early darkness and the long, stressful holiday season, put more tired drivers on the roads than at any other time of the year. Young drivers traveling long distance and older motorists are among those facing the highest risks.

Distraction: We have yet to make a full reckoning of the risks caused by smartphone distraction. But we know such distractions are now killing at least as many people on the roads each year as drug and alcohol intoxication. Holiday and seasonal travel in Southwest Florida will only serve to increase those risks through the remainder of the year.

Car Accident Injury Claims in SWFL

Experienced Fort Myers car accident attorneys know too often all of the causes of a motor-vehicle collision are not determined at the scene. This is particularly true when law enforcement determines a crash did not appear to cause very serious or fatal injuries, but may also be true in the case of fatal motor vehicle crashes that are more thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies.

An experienced personal injury or wrongful death law firm must conduct a thorough and independent review of the facts and circumstances of your crash. Determining all factors of causation, as well as the full extent of your current injuries, are critical to building a case for damages. The likelihood of future medical complications or disability, and the full economic cost of a crash, will also be used to determine the total economic value of your claim.

However, identifying all at-fault parties and their associated insurance companies (including your own insurer in cases where you have purchased optional uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage) will be paramount when it comes to collecting all of the damages to which you are entitled. Seeking early consultation with an experienced law firm is the best thing you can do to protect your rights. Those who have all of the resources necessary for recovery stand the best chances of minimizing the long-term consequences of being involved in a serious motor-vehicle crash.