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“We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., thank all those who have served, and are serving, our country in the armed forces, and at this time particularly remember those who paid the ultimate price. Thank you,” said Attorney Randall Spivey. 

Memorial Day Weekend, the last weekend in May, marks the beginning of summer for all of us. It is a weekend of remembrance and relaxation spent with family and friends. However, often the weekend turns to tragedy. According to NHTSA’s data (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) every year around 400 people die in the United States, and there are, on average, 13.1 percent more traffic deaths than on other non-holiday weekends. The factors that cause these accidents, according to law enforcement officials, are the “fatal four.” 

1. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or illegal drugs
2. Speeding
3. Distracted driving
4. Failing to wear seatbelts

Driving under the influence:

Time Magazine reported that 44 percent of all traffic fatalities that occur over the Memorial Day period are alcohol-related.  According to the NHTSA, a higher volume of holiday travelers, including a significantly higher number of alcohol-impaired drivers, cause nearly twice the number of automotive deaths during summer months than during the rest of the year combined. 

According to the DUI Foundation, most people begin to feel the effects of alcohol when their BAC ranges between 0.03% and 0.059%. At this point, the person feels mild euphoria, relaxation, and talkativeness, but he or she suffers from impaired alertness, judgment, coordination, and concentration. An individual’s reflexes, reasoning, depth perception, and vision are impaired as well.

Speeding:

Thirty-eight percent of crash fatalities over Memorial Day Weekends, according to the NHTSA, are caused by speeding. When traveling at excessive speeds, drivers are not able to negotiate curves or maneuver around obstacles that may be on the roads. The stopping distance also increases making it difficult to avoid collisions.

Distracted driving:

The Insurance Information Institute (III), in a new analysis of 2014 statistics, found that roughly 27 percent of all vehicle crashes in the U.S. involved the use of cellphones, either hand-held or hands-free mode, when accidents occurred. Any activities that may take a driver’s attention off the road, which includes talking or texting on cellphones, eating, conversing with passengers and other distractions, are major safety threats.

Failure to wear seatbelts:

The most recent data from the NHTSA shows that an estimated 87 percent of vehicle occupants wear seatbelts. The additional 13 percent who do not wear seatbelts accounted for 44.7 percent of fatalities.

All states in the United States have seatbelt laws. Of all 50 states, 18 states have not wearing seatbelts a secondary offense. This means that police officers cannot stop and ticket motorists for not wearing seatbelts. They may, however, ticket motorists for not wearing seatbelts if the motorist is stopped for another infraction.

“Being involved in accidents is usually devastating, and many times causes injuries and even deaths. Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. has seen the results of these accidents, and we encourage everyone to drive carefully and responsibly. However, should you be in an accident contact our experienced attorneys to assist you,” said Lee County Personal Injury Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Lee County Personal Injury Attorney, 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.