U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

WASHINGTON, DC— Roughly one in three car accident deaths were the result of a drunk driver and a new 2010 study shows that 70 percent of those alcohol-related fatalities were due to deeply intoxicated drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration nearly twice the legal limit, according to a new joint study released by The National Highway Safety Administration and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

“Drunk driving remains a serious, unacceptable threat to our families and our communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Our campaign is clear—if you choose to drive drunk, you will be held accountable.”

New research, which analyzed some 10,228 alcohol-impaired fatal crashes, shows that the drivers who cause the worst accidents are the most intoxicated ones. Indeed, the majority of the fatal alcohol-related crashes studied found drivers blew a BAC of .15 or higher, the report said.

Now in an effort to combat drunk drivers and prevent fatal crashes, the NHSA and MADD have joined together with other government agencies and more than 10,000 police departments for their annual anti-drunk driving campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

“These statistics show that every 51 minutes someone dies in a crash because of a drunk driver,” said Attorney West Seegmiller. “Sadly sometimes the person the drunk driver kills is themselves or someone they love.”

Additionally, Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that in 2010 there were 345,000 people injured in drunk driving crashes.

The campaign, that launches on August 17 and runs through the Labor Day holiday weekend, is also meant to deter the alcohol-impaired fatalities that occur during the Labor Day weekend. According to NHTSA officials, 180 people die each Labor Day weekend due to alcohol-impaired crashes. In 2010, 147 people were killed and in the last five years 900 people died due to drunk driving during Labor Day weekend.

“Driving under the influence shows no regard to others on the roadway. Not only are drunk drivers endangering their own lives, they are jeopardizing the lives of others,” said Attorney West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm

If you have lost a loved one in a car accident we know that this is a difficult time. We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the victim. If someone else was responsible for this accident it’s important that you act quickly to protect your rights and future.

For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients who were injured in serious traffic accidents or have lost a loved one.

There is no cost to clients until our experienced team of lawyers and legal professionals have won your case. Finding the best car accident attorney can mean you will get the settlement you need to get your life back on track. Compensation for your injuries, loss of wages and pain and suffering can’t take away the trauma of the accident, but it can help you rebuild your life.

Call us today at 1-855-ASK WEST (1-855-275-9378) to speak with our car accident law firm. Seegmiller Law Firm has offices in California including its headquarters in Irvine. We also have offices outside of Orange County to serve you in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and in Las Vegas, Nevada.

WASHINGTON DC –- Calling distracted driving an epidemic in the United States that must to be eliminated, federal transportation officials announced today it plans to launch a $2.4 million pilot project this fall — in the Sacramento Valley and Delaware — aimed at educating and changing behaviors of drivers nationwide.

Indeed, distracted driving has a negative effect on our society with 3,092 killed in 2010 nationwide, but most people surveyed this year by telephone said they are mostly likely going to answer calls while behind the wheel.

“The simple fact is people are continuing to be killed and injured and we can put an end to it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a press release issued today by his department. “Personal responsibility for putting down that cell phone is a good first step, but we need everyone to do their part.”

The fall pilot program is part of the Transportation Department’s ongoing “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving” strategy this year.

According to the LaHood, the blueprint plan will encourage the remaining 11 states to pass strong laws on hand-held devices and enforce distracted driving. Nationwide, some 39 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam, ban texting behind the wheel, according to the press release. Ten states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam prohibit all hand-held cell phone use while driving, the release said.

“One in every ten fatalities on the nation’s roadways can be blamed on distracted driving, but it hasn’t stopped drivers from answering cell phones behind the wheel,” said Attorney West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm in Irvine, California.

Also, the program’s priority is to improve driver education for the nation’s youngest and most vulnerable drivers, LaHood said. The strategy includes a plan to motivate the automotive industry to invent new technology that will reduce the potential for distraction by various handheld devices typically used in vehicles.

The pilot program in California and Delaware will further expand the Transportation Department’s current campaign, “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” aimed at reducing distracted driving.

Beginning in the fall, the federal funds will provide these two targeted areas with increased police enforcement as well as paid media and news media coverage. The Sacramento Valley region, which comprises eight counties and 3.8 million residents, as well as the state of Delaware, will provide the department will necessary feedback on how well the program works.

A similar, smaller-scale project that took place in Hartford, CT in 2011, found there were dramatic declines in distracted driving — texting dropped 72 percent in Hartford and 32 percent in Syracuse, according to the press release.

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Distracted Driving an Epidemic in the United States — Federal Pilot Program Set for Fall

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Archive for U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

National Study Shows Most Drunk Drivers are Twice the Legal Limit in Fatal Crashes

Distracted Driving an Epidemic in the United States — Federal Pilot Program Set for Fall