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The Cape Coral Police Department released its traffic accident report as of December 4, 2017 showing an increase to date in the number of fatalities in 2017 as compared to 2016. The current number of 2017 fatalities is 15, the highest since 2013 which had 19. Following is the data provided by the department:

Including the Cape Coral data, Lee County has had 102 fatalities as of November 27, 2017, according to the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The Chairman of the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition and senior planner with the MPO, Brian Raimondo, said in a News Press article that 24 of the fatal accidents involved alcohol, 4 involved distraction and 10 involved drugs. There were several crashes which had more than one type of “4D” in the crash report.

What are the 4Ds?

The 4Ds are drunk, drugged, distracted and drowsy driving. The perils of each type of dangerous driving were highlighted at a November 30^th press conference. At the press conference each of the 4Ds were discussed with recommendations for the public on how to avoid them. These recommendations included:

Drunk Driving – Plan ahead, said Fort Myers Police Captain Jay Rodriguez. Have a designated driver, a driving service or overnight plans.

Drugged Driving – A trauma surgeon at Lee Health, Dr. Kasiewicz said that the most common drug linked to drugged driving is marijuana.

“Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants everyone to know that there is help if one feels they are impacted by drunk or drugged drivers,” said Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. “MADD says that ‘…healing is possible when one is impacted by drunk and drugged driving. There is a network of supportive, preventive and innovative services at MADD. Whether you’re concerned about a neighbor driving drunk, need strategies for talking about not drinking with a teen or simply someone seeking to make your community safer, MADD wants to help.’ Here is a link to its website for how to access that assistance: Get the Help You Need”

Distracted Driving – Lt. Dennis Petracca of the Lee Sheriff’s Office said that between 2014 and 2016, 7,000 distracted driving crashes happened in Lee County. Lt. Petracca warned that taking the eyes off the road is dangerous. “A car traveling approximately 55 miles an hour covers more than 80 feet every second.”

“Driving usually begins when one is a teenager. Having safe driving practices is important from the very first day. TeenSafe has a free, downloadable, drive safe information packet that is available at Drive Safe. The packet covers such topics as: How to Stop Accidents Before They Happen and a Teen Driving Checklist. We recommend that teens and parents take advantage of this resource,” said Attorney Spivey.

Drowsy Driving – Cape Coral Police Chief Dave Newlan recommended that if a driver experiences the symptoms of drowsiness, which includes not remembering the last few miles driven, he/she should pull over for a break or let another person drive.

“The National Sleep Foundation has a Drowsy Driving Prevention Center with educational materials and other resource information such as Facts About Drowsy Driving for adults and teens. Here is a link to the foundation’s website for more information: Drowsy Driving,” said Attorney Spivey.

Cape Coral Personal Injury Lawyer, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.