Incidence Of Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents Higher Among Younger Drivers

Incidence Of Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents Higher Among Younger Drivers

Tragically, last December, an Orange County father and infant were killed in a suspected DUI crash. The father, Steven Uselton, 44, was driving with his juvenile, Douglas, 17, in Buena Grounds when 18 - instance - mature Dead ringer Lopez, of Anaheim, struck their vehicle in the intersection of Knott and Crescent Avenues after speeding through a red light. They were pronounced humdrum at the scene. After Lopez was released from the hospital, he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. While the number of alcohol - related traffic fatalities tends to increase around the holidays, younger drivers statement for a high proportion of them month - round, explains an Orange County injury lawyer.
According to the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, close to 1200 deaths occurred on our highways during the term between Thanksgiving and New Continuance ' s Eve in 2009. This is one impetus that December is National Drunk and Drugged Prevention Span. Although some long holiday weekends twin as Statue Day and Fourth of July have higher weekend totals, this brannigan - filled season is plagued by alcohol - related injuries and fatalities.
While NHTSA statistics indicate that drunk drivers extol from all age groups, ethnicities, and demographics, drivers between the ages of 21 - 34 were involved in 65 % of the fatal auto accidents involving alcohol. Besides drivers under 21 accounted for another 17 %.
Officials throughout the country have been investigating new approaches for resisting - drinking and driving campaigns targeting these age groups. Social networking websites, along with applications for Smartphones, twin as the iPhone, seem to be the latest in technological implements. Apps like " R - U - Buzzed, ” " Last Call, " and " buzz - o - meter " all use data from the user like alcohol irritated, weight, gender, age, and consumption stretch. One app, called " Last Call, " will alike notify taxis in the user ' s area, explains an Orange County injury lawyer.
While this new technology is cool and conceivably unbroken serviceable, drinking while driving is pastoral a problem. Social networking can be contravening considering many teens use Twitter and Facebook to career alerts of DUI checkpoints. It is everyone ' s obligatoriness to prevent drunken friends from driving.
The effects of alcohol vary depending on compound factors, including culmination and containment. However, research indicates that for anyone, alcohol can default bag and stunt term, which are principal to safely operating a motor vehicle.
If you have set on the freeways around Orange County lately, you have routine pragmatic the Caltrans notation that construe " Report Drunk Drivers. Call 911. " Nationwide, efforts to prevent drunk driving have enhanced. Recently, the dawn of an ignition interlock device in one’s vehicle became essential for first - clock and repeat DUI offenders in four California counties: Alameda, Los Angeles, Tulare, and Sacramento. In addition, eleven states, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, require all DUI offenders to base one.
In Buena Grounds, where a drunk driver recently killed Steve Uselton and his teenager, the Orange County Register reported that the police department recently patent a $200, 000 state grant from the state Office of Transportation Safety; the money will be used for DUI and driver ' s - license checkpoints.
Such efforts—in addition to social media campaigns and cell phone apps—will hopefully prevent younger drivers from beguiling the wheel while hopped up.