New Year’s Drunk Driving Accidents Kill 20 People in California
According to the California Highway Patrol, at least 20 people were killed in auto accidents across the state over New Year’s holiday. Out of these 20 deaths, 6 occurred during a 12 hour window beginning on 6 pm on the 31 st of December. Of these, at least one death occurred in Orange County from a car accident in Orange. A sixty-two year old Costa Mesa-resident seems to have lost control of his car and crashed into a utility pole. Police are speculating that a medical condition may have caused the accident.
California drunk driving accident lawyers have been very appreciative of the role of the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in keeping drunk drivers off the roads and motorists safe. These law enforcement efforts are especially obvious during major holidays like the Christmas and New Years and Thanksgiving, when there is an increased amount of auto traffic, and a larger number of intoxicated motorists. This New Year and Christmas were no exceptions. California Highway Patrol officers were out in full force, pulling drivers over if suspected of drunk driving. In fact, drunk driving arrests this year increased by more than 30 percent in the state compared to last year. According to the OC Register, CHP officers arrested 898 people on suspicion of drunk driving. The crackdown lasted between 6pm on New Year’s eve and 6am on the 3 rd of January. The arrests this year were an increase over 688 arrests last year. Fifty nine percent of these, or a total number of 527 arrests were made during a 12-hour period beginning at 6pm on New Year’s Eve. California car accident lawyers know that although no one expects a tragedy or serious accident to happen to them during a holiday, the fact is that for several families, the holiday period is forever tarnished with sadness and loss. For the families of the 20 who were killed over New Year’s in California, there may be little to celebrate in coming New Year’s. Unfortunately, major holidays are likely to have reckless drunk motorists on the roads, or speeding drivers rushing to get somewhere. The consequences of such reckless driving behavior are often deadly. It’s also important to note that these drunk driving fatality numbers used to be much higher in past years. Nationwide, most states have been successful in limiting their annual DUI fatality rates. In California, there has been a dramatic improvement in annual DUI fatalities and losses. This has been due to a combination of factors. There has been a greater focus and thrust on law enforcement activities throughout the year, especially during weekends and major holidays. States are spending more funds on education awareness campaigns, especially among motorist groups that are at high risk for DUI, like young motorists. Legislators have also done their share by passing some of the strongest laws in the country to prevent drunk driving crashes. All this has contributed to a reduction in fatalities in these crashes. The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents . Please visit our website at trlglaw.com . If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us . The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.
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New Year’s Drunk Driving Accidents Kill 20 People in California