Earlier this year, a young Chula Vista mother was killed when her car was involved in a speeding-related car accident. One of the cars speeding on an accident-prone stretch of highway between Ramona and Lakeside, crashed into Alexandria Drake’s car killing her. Several other fatal accidents have been reported along highway 67, and now, state authorities are acting to make enhancements to the stretch to prevent accidents. Since 2003, there have been a total of 29 fatal accidents on this stretch.

San Diego county supervisor Dianne Jacob has appealed to the California Department of Transportation and the San Diego Association of Governments to work to put an end to the serious head-on auto accidents that frequently occur on highway 67. She has asked for the installation of a concrete barrier that could prevent head-on collisions. Caltrans has confirmed that it is studying the idea of constructing a concrete barrier to separate traffic. The barrier would separate traffic on the entire stretch between Highland Valley Road in Ramona and Mapleview Street in Lakeside that runs for 16 miles or just part of them.

The proposed barrier will be 2 feet in width at the base, and 2.5 feet in height. There will be several hurdles to cross before the concrete barrier is installed. Constructing the barrier would mean that passing lanes would not be available to motorists anymore, and that several driveways along the route would be blocked. People might have to travel miles out of their way before making a turn if they wanted to. Besides, the barrier could probably cause congestion on the roads. These are the points that Jacob will be taking up when she meets with community leaders in Ramona on the 16th of July.

It’s also hard to determine which section of the route should have the concrete barrier. There isn’t one particular spot along the 16 mile stretch that is particularly prone to car accidents. Rather, accidents have occurred at various spots along the route. According to Caltrans, the biggest factor in accidents on the road is speed which accounts for nearly 1/3rd of all car accidents. Besides, driving under the influence of alcohol and making unsafe turns also contribute to their share of crashes. The Ramona and East County areas have also seen a sharp spike in growth, which has meant heavier vehicle traffic on the road. According to a Caltrans report, the number of vehicles using the route daily at Highland Valley Road was 11,000 in 1981. That number has risen steadily to 30,000 in 2007.

Over a period of time, highway 67 will be converted into a four-lane highway that will greatly reduce the incidences of accidents, and make the road safer for all. However, funding for extensive improvements to the road will not be available for at least a decade. Until then however, it’s important that Caltrans work with local agencies to make the road safe for motorists to use.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

A Huntington Park resident has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter after his car was involved in a fatal accident that killed a pickup truck driver. 20-year-old Kevin Amilcar Orellana was driving a 2000 Toyota at excessive speeds on highway 99 in Modesto. His car struck a pickup which rolled over. The 31-year-old driver of the pickup was killed at the scene of the crash.

Orellana was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and is being held at the Stanislaus County Jail. The car accident occurred on Saturday morning at about 8:30am. According to the California Highway Patrol, the pickup was traveling at about 65mph, and Orellana who was speeding, was recklessly using all three lanes to pass other cars. The California Highway Patrol does not believe that alcohol or drug use was involved.

The death of an innocent motorist because of the recklessness of another is always heartbreaking. The victim of this accident in all likelihood barely had a few seconds to register what was happening as Orellana’s car clipped his pickup, and sent it rolling. Too many car accidents every year are caused because of motorists who are in too much of a hurry to get to their destination, or find their cheap thrills in driving at excessive speeds without considering the dangers to the safety of other motorists. The victim in this accident was breaking no rules. He has had to pay for the negligence of a 20-year-old motorist who should have known better.

According to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, when speed limits were raised in several states in 1996, travel speeds also increased, leading to a spike in auto accident fatalities. Every year, the country loses $27.7 billion to the costs of speeding-related accidents. Speeding not only decreases the amount of time a motorist has to avoid an accident, but also increases the severity of an accident once it has occurred. The kind of force and pressure generated when a car is traveling at 90mph and collides with another car or stationary object can be enormous. The wreckage that results from such accidents is unrecognizable.

Serious injuries and fatalities are common in such accidents. In fact, according to the NHTSA, crash force on impact doubles with every 10mph increase in speed above 50mph. With this increase in crash force, the chances of motorists and passengers being killed or severely injured also increase. Young drivers below the age of 30 are, not surprisingly, more likely to drive at excessive speeds than older motorists. Of all motorists involved in fatal automobile accidents, young males are the most at risk for speeding. In fact, the proportion of speeding-linked fatal accidents actually decreases with the increase in motorist age. Not surprisingly, alcohol use seems to be involved in a majority of speeding-related accidents. That could be attributed to the fact that alcohol use can contribute to recklessness and risky behavior.

As California personal injury lawyers who are concerned about the safety of innocent motorists, we hope Orellana gets the justice he deserves.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

A woman who suffered serious leg injuries in a car accident in San Mateo County has filed a lawsuit against the driver of the car who had allegedly taken the pain killer OxyContin just before the car crash.

Holly Rogers was at the entrance of Mollie Stone’s Market in Burlingame with her 18-yar-old daughter and a group of other Girl Scouts. They were selling cookies when a Lexus driven by Paul Glad crashed his car into the group. Both Holly and her daughter were seriously injured. Holly Rogers had to have her leg amputated after the accident. Five other people sustained injuries in the car accident including two other children.

Holly Rogers has now filed a lawsuit against Paul Glad who is an attorney working for Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal. The lawsuit alleges that Glad had taken the pain killer OxyContin as well as other blood pressure medicines just before the crash. According to the complaint, he was well aware that ingesting OxyContin could cause several side effects, including nervousness and slow response times. These side effects could make it hard for a motorist to drive a vehicle. In spite of knowing these, Glad drove his vehicle anyway. According to the lawsuit, Glad pulled into a disabled parking spot at the Mollie Stone’s lot, and began to get out of his car. When he realized the car was still rolling, he closed the door and slammed the gas pedal, instead of the brakes. The Lexus accelerated and rammed into Holly Rogers, her daughter and the other Girl Scouts. The complaint alleges that Rogers and her daughter have suffered permanent injuries that will require long-term health care, professional mental health service, nurses and physicians.

OxyContin contains OxyCodone, and is a strong narcotic painkiller. It is used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain, and can be used to treat chronic pain. OxyCodone is highly addictive and has pain relieving and addictive properties that are similar to morphine. OxyContin has come under increased scrutiny because of its potential for overuse and misuse. A person can get addicted to OxyContin after just a week’s use. Individuals who find that they are addicted to OxyContin will also find that they also suffer withdrawal symptoms that are similar to withdrawal symptoms from any narcotic addiction. Withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, muscle tremors, spasms, anxiety, depression and paranoia. A person who takes OxyContin may also experience side effects like light-headedness, confusion and altered mental stages. Over dose of OxyContin can cause brain damage, respiratory failure, seizures, confusion dizziness, unconsciousness and coma. It can also lead to death.

Perdue Pharma, the company that manufactures OxyContin has found itself faced with a number of product liability lawsuits brought by families of patients who developed an addiction to the painkiller.

Driving under the influence of prescription medication can contribute to delayed response times and impaired judgment similar to that experienced by a person driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Side effects can be serious enough to contribute to a car accident.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

A car accident in Soledad has left four people dead and at least one injured. The accident involved a Honda Accord and a Chevrolet Silverado. 

According to the California Highway Patrol, the Honda Accord driver was making a left turn from the Highway 101 off ramp, and trying to cross the southbound lane when the pickup crashed into the car. The four occupants of the Honda Accord were declared dead at the scene of the crash. Two of the rear passengers in the car were not wearing seatbelts, and were ejected from the vehicle. The pickup truck continued traveling south and then rolled over to land on its wheels. The pickup truck driver Chualar Resident, Juan Francisco D’ Anda, suffered minor injuries. According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Coroners Division, they are waiting to identify the occupants of the Accord before releasing their names. The CHP says that the car occupants were between 18 and 35 years old, and on their way to work at the time of the accident.  
   
The crash occurred six miles south of the site where a tour bus crashed into a wall last month, killing five people and leaving dozens of bus passengers with injuries. Investigations into that accident are continuing, but preliminary investigations seem to point to driver error. California Highway Patrol says that the highway is not a dangerous road, and that there are not an “unusual” number of accidents there.” According to the CHP, alcohol doesn’t seem to be a factor in the crash. Earlier in 2006, another accident on Highway 111 at Major Farms where Tuesday’s accident took place, left a 42-year-old man with injuries.  

We will have to wait for the safety investigation to be completed before we can come to any conclusions about the accident.  

It’s worth looking into whether highway 101 has design defects that could possibly increase the risk of fatal accidents. A total of nine people have lost their lives in two separate fatal accidents on the highway in the last couple of months alone. A highway doesn’t necessarily need to have obstructions, lack barriers or signs, or have malfunctioning lighting to be dangerous. A wide, straight and perfectly smooth highway can actually place motorists at a risk of accidents by lulling them into a false sense of security. Motorists on roads like these could actually find themselves losing concentration, which is always dangerous. Besides, a road can also be dangerous if it has a poor design that includes steep curves and sharp turns. Absence of barriers and signage can mislead motorists, and increase the risk of accidents. Inadequate or malfunctioning lighting can pose visibility problems, increasing the risk of a car crash. Authorities who are responsible for making enhancements to road safety often have to consider a number of factors, including the traffic and pedestrian volumes in the area, the site’s accident record etc. This means that a dangerous road could actually see several serious accidents before enhancements are finally made.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

Two people were killed in a car accident when the driver of a pickup truck crashed his vehicle into a tree in Fullerton. Both passengers in the vehicle, a male and a female, were ejected from the car on impact. They were both declared dead at the scene. The driver of the car Jared Berggren was taken to the hospital, where he received treatment for head injuries. He was apparently driving at an excessive speed at the time of the car accident.

Berggren will be charged with vehicular manslaughter when he is discharged from the hospital. The high speed of the vehicle caused him to lose control of his pickup. The vehicle veered off the road, and up a hill where it crashed into a tree. Impact was strong enough to shear most of the roof off. Investigators found beer bottles down the street, and believe it’s likely that the three were drinking before they got into the car. The strong impact of the crash and the mangled wreck led fire officials to look for any other victims who might have been in the car. They used thermal cameras to search in the bushes nearby to make sure there were no other victims in the crash.

Across the country, speeding is one of the top three causes of car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding is a factor in approximately 31 percent of all accidents. Teenage drivers are likely to be at a higher risk of speeding-related accidents than adult drivers. In fact, crashes are the number one cause of death of teenagers across the country. Drivers between the age of 16 and 19 have the highest crash rates compared to other age groups. These drivers also have the highest average traffic violation rates. Beside speeding, motorist at this age are also likely to indulge in tailgating, violating traffic signs, running red lights and other dangerous behaviors.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, there are several reasons why teen drivers have such a high risk for accidents. Teen drivers typically have a low risk perception. This means that they underestimate the risk of an accident and overestimate their ability to avoid any dangers on the road.

Teen drivers also tend to have overconfidence in their driving skills. Young drivers are more at risk for dangerous behavior like speeding. Speed and thrills may be seen as being cool, which causes the driver to make foolish driving decisions.

Teen drivers, studies have shown, are less inclined to wear seatbelts than older drivers. This places them at a higher risk of severe or fatal injures during a car accident.

Alcohol and drug use is also a common cause of serious accidents involving teen motorists. A teen driver driving under the influence of alcohol is at a much greater risk of serious accidents than an adult driver who has an equal blood alcohol concentration in his system.

Teenagers also have peculiar driving challenges. Their risk of being in a car accident increases when they travel with other teens. In fact, the risk of a fatality in a driver aged between 16 and 17 years is up to 3.6 times higher when he or she is driving with passengers, than when they are driving alone. These serious accidents can be attributed to distractions in the car and peer pressure from friends to indulge in risky behaviors like speeding.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

A car accident involving five vehicles in Anaheim on Monday left six people injured. According to the OC Register, a dump truck traveling on the Imperial Highway crashed into four other vehicles.

One of those vehicles was a Toyota Camry whose driver was seriously injured. The driver had to be extricated from the car, using the Jaws of Life. The damage to the car was severe, and the vehicle was crushed. The driver seems to have had a miraculous escape. The three other vehicles involved also suffered some damage. Six of those who were injured had been admitted to the hospital, and none of the injuries are believed to be life threatening.

There is no information yet on why the dump truck moved into the intersection, and crashed into the vehicle. Police suspect that the truck might have suffered a brake failure, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Car accidents with a dump truck tend to be more severe than accidents with other cars. These vehicles usually have a high-placed bumper to allow for additional ground clearance. This means that a passenger car colliding with a dump truck finds itself under the truck, leaving these passengers with severe injuries.

An accident liability suit in a car crash involving a dump truck may involve the owner of the truck and the company responsible for its operations. Because of their unique construction, dump trucks tend to have special challenges, especially when it comes to operating with other vehicles on the road. For instance, the driver of the dump truck, because he is in an elevated position, may not be able to see other smaller passenger cars around. Drivers of these trucks are therefore required to be extra careful, and pay special attention to traffic around them as they travel around busy roads. Any mistakes made by a dump truck driver can be hazardous, leaving nearby motorists with severe fatalities.

Persons who have been injured in a car accident with a commercial truck may be eligible to recover compensation for their injuries. This compensation may include any medical expenses the victim may have undergone. These include doctor’s bills, hospitalization expenses, medication costs etc. Victims may also be eligible for long-term medical expenses, which may be necessary after suffering from the severe injuries that result from such an accident. Victims may also be eligible to recover expenses for physical rehabilitation therapy, as well as future medical expenses. Besides, a severely injured victim may have to take many weeks and months off work, which leads to a reduction in his earnings. These losses and future earnings can also be factored into a personal injury claim. Calculating future earnings can be complex, and an Orange County personal injury lawyer will be able to determine an appropriate claim amount.

Injury victims may also claim a range of other benefits as damages for pain, suffering and anguish, and severe injury and also loss of consortium, which is loss of affection or companionship of a spouse. In case of severe negligence by the defendant, victims may also be awarded punitive damages.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

An 18-year-old San Luis Obispo motorist who was driving a car that was involved in a fatal car accident in 2008 has been sentenced to community service. The teen, Alex John Forster, pleaded guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in the car accident that killed a 58-year-old woman.

Foster was driving an Audi Sudan at about 60 mph, and tried to speed past the vehicles ahead of him. As he tried to pass the vehicles, his car began to drift across the yellow lines into an oncoming Kia. The driver of the Kia managed to avoid the Audi, but crashed head-on into a Toyota driven by Francheska Rubin. She died at the scene of the crash.

After the car accident, it was found that Forster had been under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident. Police also found marijuana in the car. The teen was also charged with felony possession of marijuana while driving, and the charge was dropped as part of a plea deal. Forster has been sentenced to 8 months of community service. That includes 40 hours every week until the end of December, at the Transitions Mental Health Growing Grounds in rural San Luis Obispo.

Francheska’s grown children, who were present at the sentencing, were unhappy, and felt that justice had not been served. Both Vadim Robin and Mari Rubin Carp spoke at the sentencing, addressing Foster.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is dangerous enough behavior for an adult, but when you are talking about a teenager who had his license for just a couple of years, the risks are far greater. These drivers are more prone to reckless behavior like speeding and street racing that can cause car accidents.

An underage driver has a greater tendency to feel invincible. They may also feel entitled to driving privileges. Plus, members of this age group are also more likely to bow to peer pressure, and indulge in reckless driving. When you combine all these factors with alcohol or drugs, you have a dangerous situation, which can increase the motorist’s risk of being involved in a car accident.

Dealing with the problem of teenage driving is complex and involves combining the efforts of community agencies, including law enforcement agencies, colleges and universities, as well as parents. Underage motorists need to be aware of the fact that driving privileges come with certain responsibilities. Parents tend to think of driving as a rite of passage for their teens, but the fact is that a motorist who has just passed a driving test still needs to be taught that there are driving practices that are completely unacceptable, like driving under the influence.

Teen drunk drivers also need to be dealt with severely when their behavior results in an accident. Most serious drunk driving accidents are caused by repeat offenders who are not punished strongly enough the first time they are convicted of DUI. A light sentence only encourages teen motorists to go back to their reckless actions.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

A driving error turned fatal, resulting in a multi-vehicle accident in Pasadena that left a mother and her nine-year-old daughter dead. The woman’s other children sustained injuries.

The woman, 35-year-old Robyn Lynn Shaw was in a SUV with her 9-year-old daughter Victoria, a 5-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. It was an ordinary trip to school that went horribly wrong when the mother seems to have swerved the vehicle into oncoming vehicles. Robyn and 9-year-old Victoria died instantly, and the two other children in the car sustained serious injuries, including the 5-year-old girl who is said to be in a critical condition. The Toyota Sequoia SUV was severely damaged in the crash, and it took rescue personal 45 minutes before they could extricate Victoria’s body.

According to witnesses, the Sequoia seems to have lost control, veered across the center divider and crashed into another vehicle. That set off a multi vehicle crash. At least two people who were in the other cars suffered serious injuries. Three people who suffered minor injuries were treated at the scene of the crash and released. Rescue efforts included two truck companies, four ambulances and three fire engines. The other cars in the crash included a white Mitsubishi, a Honda Accord, Ford Aerostat, and an Escalade. All cars suffered damage in the crash.

It’s not yet clear why Shaw lost control of the Sequoia, but the consequences of her error were devastating. According to residents in Orange Grove, the street is dangerous because of reckless and speeding motorists who constantly drive at above the posted speed limits of about 35mph. Near misses are common on the road, residents say.

Just last week, we discussed mothers who drive with their children in cars and their level of knowledge about safe driving practices. A survey conducted in ten of the largest metro cities placed mom drivers in Dallas Fort Worth at number one when it came to following safe practices. The poll surveyed them not just in their emergency maintenance knowledge (fixing a tire etc), but also on other driving practices. Moms were asked whether they used their cell phones in the car and restrained their children in car safety seats. They were also polled on their ability to avoid or filter out distractions from their children in the car.

Driver distraction is one of the leading causes of automobile accidents. Approximately 25% of accidents are traced to drivers not paying 100% attention to the road while they are driving. These could occur because they were talking on the cell phone, fiddling with the music, snacking etc.

For mothers who frequently drive with their kids, the distractions increase manifold. Children demand a lot of attention, and there is only so much attention a mother can spare when she is behind the wheel of her car.

We still don’t know what kind of distractions could have caused the fatal car accident, and considering the only survivors were a 5-year-old and an infant, it will be hard to uncover all details in the car accident.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

Unless otherwise noted above the Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

A multi-vehicle accident caused by a drunk driver who was involved in a high speed police chase has ended with one person dead, and others suffering minor injuries.

The driver, Silvero Romero from Vista was pulled over by an officer of the Temecula California Highway Patrol. However, Romero took off in his Ford Explorer, and entered the southbound lane of interstate 15. He was driving at more that 100 mph. Romero drove recklessly using all lanes of the freeway in an effort to throw the officer off. As he headed west on SR 76, Romero ran a red light at an intersection, and crossed over the yellow lines to crash head on with a Toyota pickup. Romero didn’t stop driving after the accident, and continued driving on, ultimately slamming into an F-350. At this point, he lost control of his SUV, and the Explorer flipped over, and crashed down on an embankment. The driver of the Toyota pickup, 27-year-old Moreno Valley resident Douglas Tarry, sustained serious injuries in the car accident, and was rushed to the Palomar Medical Center where he died a short time later. The occupants of the F-350 pickup, husband and wife Jennifer and James Riley suffered minor injuries in the accident. Romero himself was severely injured, and is undergoing treatment at the Palomar Medical Center. He is expected to face felony charges of DUI, manslaughter, hit and run, and evading arrest.

Douglas Tarry was doing nothing wrong. He was not intoxicated and was following all traffic rules. But Tarry has just been added to the annual list of drunk driving accident related fatalities in the country. Tarry was a musician and played with the local band Agrypnia. He was studying in college, working towards a degree in sound engineering. At just 27 years of age, Tarry probably had great plans for his life. All those plans however, have been snuffed out in just an instance because of a drunk driver. Tarry leaves behind his parents and sister.

Romero meanwhile, has had his leg amputated in the accident. Leg injures, however, didn’t stop this reckless driver from hopping on one leg, and trying to flee the scene of the crash. Driving drunk wasn’t the only rule Romero broke. He didn’t have a license, was speeding, and when his action eventually caused a crash, he tried to flee the scene. We hope this motorist gets what’s coming to him, and that his amputated leg doesn’t impact the kind of sentence he gets.

Terry’s family may be eligible for wrongful death damages for the death of their son. A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed by the family of the deceased against the motorist whose negligent actions caused the accident. Wrongful death damages may include any medical or hospitalization expenses that may have occurred before the person’s death. Families may also be eligible for the costs of funeral or burial. A California personal injury lawyer may also claim compensation for the anticipated lost earnings of the deceased in the accident.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.

Across the country, education programs, stricter law enforcement and safer automobiles have contributed to a drop in the number of highway accident-related deaths. According to the OC Register, the national highway fatality rate has dropped to approximately 10%. In Orange County, the drop between 2007 & 2008 was 9%. In 2007, there were 65 accident-related deaths, while in 2008, the number of dead in accidents was 59. Across California, the average drop in highway fatalities has been up to 23%.

This welcome drop in the number of people killed in highway accidents can be linked to a number of factors. Across the country, as in California, city, county and state officials have invested money, time and effort in conducting public education programs aimed at reducing the number of accident-related deaths. There have been drunk driving crackdowns to keep intoxicated motorists off the road, and unable to cause harm to other motorists, while simultaneously, special groups of people like teen drivers, who are more at risk for irresponsible driving behavior have been targeted through anti-drunk driving education programs. This has included conducting mock DUI crash scenes in high schools in several counties where teenagers are brought face to face with the incredible destruction that results after a drunk driving accident. The California Highway Patrol has frequently clamped down on inebriated drivers, especially during the holiday season when the number of such motorists on the road, and the accidents associated with them, tend to increase. Besides, there have been campaigns promoting seatbelt use and enforcement of speeding laws. A combination of these efforts has contributed to this drop in accident fatalities.

There has been another factor that could have also resulted in fewer accident fatalities. As the economy has deteriorated, the number of people driving has also declined. People are less likely to drive for leisure when they are worried about the security of their jobs or about balancing the budget for the month. This has meant fewer people willing to travel, and fewer vehicles on road. The trend has been seen across the country and with lesser congestion on the roads, there have been fewer accidents and fewer fatalities.

What has been especially remarkable is the role played by enhanced safety features in our cars, working to keep us safe. Seatbelt use has increased, while safety features, like airbags, are now commonplace. These have helped dramatically reduce the risk of being killed in an accident.

While the statistics in the report are only projections based on preliminary data, having these early numbers in hand gives transportation officials a sense of the progress they’ve made over the past year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now uses new electronic techniques to gather information quicker, so that highway fatality rate projections can be done sooner.

Whether fatality rates begin to increase once the economy begins to recover and people no longer worry much about fuel prices is yet to be seen, but we would be taking away from the laudable efforts of highway and transportation officials if we didn’t acknowledge their contribution to reducing the numbers of accident-related fatalities.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car 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.