Posted on April 19, 2012 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Beginning this summer, Virginia will enact one of the strictest drunk driving penalties in the country. New laws will require the installation of an ignition-interlock device into the vehicles of first-time offenders. This prevents them from starting their vehicles until they breathe into the device.

The new restrictions form part of the continuing, comprehensive effort to crack down on drunk driving in Virginia. The effects of this risky practice are well known: accidents, injuries, permanent disabilities, medical expenses and even fatalities. As a result, the state is sending a stronger-than-ever message to residents: do not drink and drive, not even once.

However, some critics argue that the new ignition-interlock requirements go a little too far.

Virginia law already requires the device for repeat offenders or those with a blood alcohol content of.15 or higher at the time of their initial arrest. Like neighboring states Virginia's threshold for DUI is.08.

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 Posted on April 10, 2012 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

In a frightening head-on collision, an ice cream truck collided with a school bus in Chesterfield, Virginia, on April 3. As a result, nine people were sent to the hospital. Authorities charged the driver of the ice cream truck with reckless driving. No catastrophic injuries were reported in this truck accident, but two adults and seven students were hurt.

A Chesterfield County public school bus, transporting 24 students home from Midlothian High School, rounded a curve and smashed into the ice cream truck, whose driver swerved to avoid stopped traffic in his own lane.

Neither the truck driver nor the school bus driver could easily see around the curved roadway, a fact that may complicate the reckless driving charge. However, passing a vehicle on a curve is a common component of reckless driving in the state, so reactions to the case will depend upon further investigation of the crash.

The truck driver's speed at the time of the incident will likely play a role in the outcome of the case with the local courts. In addition, the driver's own driving history will probably also come under consideration, as will the details of the interaction between the truck driver and the police offers on the scene.

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 Posted on April 05, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Driving without giving one's complete attention to the road can lead to a host of serious problems: fatal motor vehicle accidents, allegations of negligence, medical and even funeral expenses, the loss of loved ones, and police investigations. While Virginia has been proactive in crafting laws against distracted driving, its by-products are still all too common on local roads.

A recent study reveals just how deadly this type of driving can be. Dialing cell phones, as well as texting, led to a marked increase in one's risk for an accident. The study found that drivers who texted behind the wheel were 23 times more likely to crash.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that in 2010, more than 1,400 crashes involved cell phone use as an accident contributor. Of the total 25,597 crashes caused by distracted driving, 122 of them featured a fatality. This is especially important to remember as April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

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 Posted on March 27, 2012 in Drunk Driving Accidents

When a holiday known for copious alcohol consumption falls on a Saturday night, the attention of local authorities inevitably turns to drunk drivers. During the recent St. Patrick's Day holiday, police in Albemarle, Virginia, set up a series of roadblocks meant to deter drunk driving accidents.

A combination of Albemarle police, deputies from the County Sheriff's office, state police and police from the University of Virginia worked together to review hundreds of drivers. Given the calamities that drunk driving can cause — permanent disabilities, head-on collisions, huge medical expenses — there is little surprise that Virginia police gave so much attention to this issue.

However, the checkpoints, which were spread throughout the local area, netted a total of only five DUI arrests. A grant from the Department of Motor Vehicles funded the 60 officers who put in hours during the holiday. However, it might very well be that drivers who might have been tempted to drink and drive were deterred from doing so by the increased police presence. It is certainly possible that those drivers were never on the road that night, and lives might have been saved as a result.

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 Posted on March 20, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Safety discussions are now taking place between school administrators and traffic officials following the tragic death of a local teen. The female high school student, who had planned on attending Liberty University in Virginia, was the victim of a fatal car accident earlier this month.

About two hours after classes had finished for the day at her high school, an 18-year-old student was attempting to cross a busy street near the school when an SUV fatally struck her. The accident caused severe injuries and the young pedestrian died the next day at a nearby hospital. Police are still investigating the incident.

Similar to many intersections in Virginia, the intersection in question requires extra caution as pedestrian traffic - due to the nearby high school - can be heavy at times. Several restaurants sit across the street from campus, making the roadway a popular spot to cross on foot. Last spring, another accident occurred around the same location, also involving a pedestrian.

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 Posted on March 14, 2012 in Truck Accidents

With many American workers struggling to make ends meet, it seems like almost everyone is working longer hours these days. One segment of the workforce, though, is facing pressure to work less. Truck drivers are among the nation's sleepiest laborers, putting themselves at risk for tractor trailer accidents, serious injuries, or truck crashes involving fatalities.

Awareness of truck driver fatigue is nothing new, but a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation discovered that, on average, truckers get less sleep than workers in other occupations. In addition, nearly half of truck drivers surveyed indicated rarely or never receiving adequate, restful sleep on a work night.

Truck operators' drowsiness is more than just an annoyance. The foundation found that 14 percent of truckers reported making a serious error, or experiencing a "near miss," due to tiredness.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has lately considered capping truck drivers' consecutive work hours at 10. The current limit is 11 hours on the road. At the end of last year, the Obama administration also instituted several new rules for truckers, limiting their weekly work hours and mandating two days off following five workdays.

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 Posted on March 05, 2012 in Car Accidents

When inexperienced drivers get behind the wheel, they often make the fatal mistake of overcorrecting when they run off the road. Teenagers in particular are prone to this habit, resulting in often preventable auto accidents.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that in 2010, there were 235 car accidents that involved teen drivers overcorrecting, or steering their wheel too far in the opposite direction after going off the road. Last year, the number of similar accidents rose to 244.

When a car slides or slips off to the right, the driver's natural reaction is to quickly yank the steering wheel to the left. Experienced drivers realize this can cause the car to spin rapidly, roll, or veer into oncoming traffic. Even at relatively slower speeds, overcorrecting can be a fatal instinct.

Unseasoned and/or distracted motorists are most prone to this habit. Add rain, ice, or snow to the mix, and running off the road is even more likely. However, while driving experts agree that going off the road is sometimes unavoidable, drivers can prevent overcorrection through awareness and practice.

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 Posted on February 28, 2012 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Readers in Virginia may be interested to learn of an off-duty police officer who was convicted of killing a bicyclist while driving drunk.

The drunk driving accident happened late one night in May 2009. A member of the Chicago police force, not on duty at the time, drove while intoxicated and struck a teenager riding a bicycle. Sadly, the victim died as a result of the accident.

Another officer later pulled over the off-duty policeman for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. When the driver exited the vehicle the officer on the scene noted an open container of alcohol in the car.

However, several hours passed before the driver took either a field sobriety test or a breathalyzer test, calling into question the evidence collected and later used at trial. The arresting officer called his commanding officer to the site of the accident before administering the proper tests. At the time the tests were performed, the officer's blood alcohol content was.079, which is just below the legal limit in Illinois of.08.

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 Posted on February 21, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Virginia drivers may be interested to learn more about the recent deadly pileup on I-75 that has shaken up drivers in the southeast, who must often face haze, fog and other uncertain weather conditions during their commutes.

When multiple causes of a fatal crash are involved, as well as multiple vehicles, deciphering responsibility can be as confusing as the collisions themselves. Last month, 11 people lost their lives on a stretch of Florida interstate. Cars and trucks collided in what would become a deadly pileup on January 30, ultimately sending 18 other drivers and passengers to area hospitals.

Reduced visibility, mainly due to a combination of fog and smoke, impaired drivers as they cruised down a road known for high speeds. At least 12 cars and six semi trucks ran into one another in the early morning hours, causing crashes in both the northbound and southbound lanes.

The deadly accidents occurred shortly after local authorities had decided to reopen both lanes. Earlier that morning, that section of I-75 had been closed due to the thick mixture of fog and smoke from a nearby brush fire.

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 Posted on February 13, 2012 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Even for those who have never been an accident victim in a situation involving drunk driving, the effects of such incidents can extend far beyond the expected injuries and medical expenses.

A survivor's permanent disability is just one lasting reminder of a notable 2010 Virginia drunk driving accident that left one woman dead. With an intoxicated driver crossing lanes on a narrow road, the subsequent crash severely injured two others.

Convicted of felony murder, the driver received a 20-year prison sentence, while one survivor received a virtual life sentence of medical maladies.

Yet another accident victim lost her life that fateful morning. Even more surprising, though, is how both the victims and the driver have changed since the accident.

"I think I might even be a nicer person," noted one victim, a 71-year-old whose attitude is nothing short of inspiring. While the victim certainly wouldn't want to experience the crash again, "I think I'm all the better for it." The victim puts nearly a full-time effort into helping hospital patients in Richmond, Virginia, her own recovery experience a guiding light for others.

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