Don't Let Drunks Drive

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I regularly counsel, friends, clients and those who attend my lectures, that if they have been drinking, don’t drive, give up their car keys to another designated driver. This is sound advice, especially since drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2008, 327 people were killed in crashes where the driver or motorcyclist had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. That is down from 377 people killed in 2007 with a BAC of .08 or higher.

There is a catch, the key to doing the designated driver thing successfully is to give your keys to someone who hasn’t been drinking. Reference an article in the Greeneville Sun the other day. It appears that Tara Ann Jennings, 21, had been drinking and gave her keys to her friend who himself was drunk, had already had three DUI convictions and had previously been adjudged an habitual motor vehicle offender. Add to those qualifications the fact that he didn’t have a license, and you get a gold star for stupidity.

For her clear thinking Ms. Jennings was charged with DUI by consent which means she, as the registered owner of the vehicle, turned over control of the vehicle to a person she knew or through the exercise of due diligence, should have known, was drunk.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drunk driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Stupid Drunk

As an experienced Nashville, Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell you that the best way to insure that your teen driver develops good driving skills and  learns to practice safe driving is for the parents to teach and practice safe driving as the child matures. Experience gained by watching your parents is a sure fire way to learn the proper skills that you will need to make it safely through your teen age years.

On the other hand, there are drivers like Oda Renee Baker, 36, of Whitesburg, who, while driving under the influence of alcohol, with her 10-year-old son as a passenger, attempted to flee a traffic stop and in doing so ran over the foot of Hawkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Scott Alley, before racing away. Ms Baker was driving on a revoked license after having been convicted of  three previous DUI’s. What an example she is to her son.

According to an article in the Kingsport Times-News Baker fled south on Route 66 at a high rate of speed, lost control at a curve, and struck a culvert, tree and several large rocks just south of Forest Hills Road. Her son was taken to the hospital and his condition is unknown. She was charged with two counts of vehicular assault, DUI fourth offense, child endangerment, felony evading arrest and driving on a revoked license.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration about three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. Over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States. In 2008, there were nearly 61 million children age 14 and younger in the United States. This age group made up 20 percent of the total U.S. resident population in 2008. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for ages 3 to 14. In 2008, a total of 1,347 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle driving crashes. Out of those 216 deaths, about half (99) were occupants of a vehicle with a driver who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest.

Drunk Driving Crackdown

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I am all too aware of the dangers posed by the holiday season. Fortunately for all Tennesseans the fatality rate for drunk driving collisions is steadily decreasing year after year. But those statistics offer little hope to families who lose loved ones to drunk drivers during the holiday season.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2008, 327 people died in highway crashes in Tennessee involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. That’s an 11 percent decline from the 377 alcohol-related deaths in 2007. As part of National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month, the Tennessee Highway Patrol will be stepping up its enforcement crackdown to find and remove impaired drivers from Tennessee roadways.  Troopers will be conducting more than 100 sobriety and driver license checkpoints now through the New Year’s holiday to get drunk drivers off the road.

The holiday season is one of the deadliest and most dangerous times of the year due to an increase in impaired driving.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in December 2008, 888 people were killed nationwide in crashes that involved a drunk driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. That was down from 992 people killed in similar impaired driving crashes in 2007.  In Tennessee, in December 2008, eight people were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver with a known BAC of .08 or higher compared to 12 people in December 2007.

“The holidays are about gathering together with friends and family to celebrate the joys of the season, but no amount of good cheer will save people from the consequences of impaired driving,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Mike Walker. “Impaired driving is against the law and Troopers will be out in force working to save lives by making sure drunk and drugged drivers are kept off the road. If we catch you, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses.”

The 2009 Christmas holiday period begins Thursday, December 24th, at 6:00 p.m., and runs through Sunday, December 27, at 11:59 p.m. During the 2008 Christmas holiday period, nine people were killed in traffic crashes on Tennessee roadways. This represents one death every 11 hours and 20 minutes. Alcohol was involved in nearly 29 percent of those crashes and four of the seven motorists killed were not wearing safety restraints.

The 2009 New Year’s holiday period begins at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, December 31, 2009, and will end 11:59 p.m. Sunday, January 3, 2010. Last year, 2008-09, 12 people were killed during the New Year’s holiday period and 42 percent of the fatalities occurred in alcohol-related crashes.

Please set an example to your friends and family, especially your teen drivers. If you drink don’t driver, if you drive don’t drink. If you observe and impaired driver identify the vehicle and call 911 or in a rural area *847 and report them. You may save a life. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident involving a drunk or impaired driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I try to keep my readers and clients apprised of issues related to highway safety. As we enter the holiday season I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that next week is Halloween and we should be especially careful next Saturday night. As parents we should exercise the same care that we employ in preparing our children’s costumes instructing our children on the dangers they will face on the streets. As we escort our children on their trick or treat visits keep them close and constantly remind them to practice safety.

The biggest threat to the children’s safety is from drunk drivers. It is Saturday night and it is a holiday.  According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Halloween period this year runs from October 29 – November 1 and the most dangerous time includes the period 4 P.M. to 10 P.M. The good news is that since the FARS system has been in place the death and injury toll since 1996 has seen a significant decrease. It is thought that the decrease is related to education through public service announcements reminding drivers and parents of the need to practice safety in combination with strict enforcement, including DUI roadblocks.

Take a few minutes to ensure children’s safety. The following are some safety tips from the CDC:

* Plan safe costumes. Make sure masks and costumes fit well so kids can see well and move around safely.

* Ensure safety on the street. Put reflective tape on treat bags and costumes. Have each child carry a flashlight so drivers can see them. Keep porches and walkways clear of candles and other obstacles.

* Use only established crosswalks.

* Keep in a group with trusted adult supervision

In my neighborhood the neighbors coordinated our  effort to insure child safety by making sure that our cars, whether parked on the street or in the driveway have their emergency flashers on to remind drivers coming through the neighborhood  to be cautious.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville car pedestrian accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.