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Firm News

Arrest for Culpeper County man suspected of drunk driving
Posted on 8/26/2010
Student faces new charge in highway worker DUI hit-and-run
Posted on 7/28/2010
DUI and involuntary manslaughter charges for Stafford County woman
Posted on 2/25/2010
Culpeper DUI traffic stop leads to drug charges for Maryland couple
Posted on 12/20/2009
Manslaughter charges for Stafford man who killed two in drunk driving crash
Posted on 11/21/2009
Driving Under the Influence Kills Mother and Son
Posted on 9/23/2009
Rise in number of women caught driving under the influence of alcohol
Posted on 8/20/2009
Spotsylvania teen charged with DUI in Culpeper crash
Posted on 7/30/2009
Culpeper resident charged with DUI
Posted on 7/20/2009
Fatal beltway accident caused by drunk driver with numerous traffic violations
Posted on 7/15/2009

Library

The Problem of High-Risk Drunk Drivers in Fatal Crashes

First, the good news. The latest traffic safety assessment from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that drunk driving deaths decreased across the country by 3.7% in 2007. Officials speculate that this reduction is due to increased legal enforcement of DUI laws and campaigns by government and non-profit groups that encourage zero-tolerance for drinking and driving and promote the importance of designated drivers. However, an overall reduction in DUI related accident deaths isn’t the whole picture.

The study also revealed that drivers who hold multiple convictions for driving while intoxicated are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. This small group of “high-risk” drivers – those with a prior conviction or a BAC higher than 0.15 – seem impervious to anti drunk-driving campaigns and stricter laws regarding driving while intoxicated. The number of these drivers involved in fatal crashes has remained steady, which has officials questioning how to address the problem.

How to Reform High-Risk Drunk Drivers

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) defines a “high-risk driver” as:

Offenders convicted (conviction is defined as receiving a court-imposed sanction) of a second DUI (driving under the influence) offense within a five-year period – these drivers are 40% more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers without a prior conviction.
Offenders convicted of a first DUI offense with a BAC of .15 percent or higher – these drivers are 382 times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as a non-intoxicated driver.
Offenders convicted of a DUI offense, where the suspension was the result of a conviction for DUI – these drivers are about 4.9% more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a properly licensed driver.

In order to keep these high-risk drivers from taking more lives, MADD suggests the following:

Restrict the ability of high-risk drivers to drive by suspending their licenses, impounding or immobilizing their vehicles, and requiring alcohol ignition interlock devices on their vehicles.
Enforce restitution sanctions on high-risk drivers by requiring compensation to the community through fines, mandatory incarceration and financial restitution to crash victims.
Push recovery programs for high-risk drivers like mandatory alcohol assessment and treatment, intensive probation and attendance at victim impact panels.
More regular, highly publicized sobriety checkpoints should be used as a tool in deterring, identifying and apprehending high-risk drivers and other potential offenders.

Drinking and Driving in Virginia

The NHTSA study shows that in 2007 of the 1027 people killed in Virginia traffic accidents, 332 (32%) of those were involved in an alcohol-related crash. This is an increase of 34 deaths (11%) over the previous year. Virginia also has the dubious distinction of having the largest increase in the nation of 24 motorcyclist fatalities in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.

If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident with an intoxicated driver, then we want to hear from you. Please contact the Northern Virginia law offices of Dulaney, Lauer & Thomas today and let us work with you to secure the justice and compensation that you deserve.

DULANEY, LAUER & THOMAS, LLP

Warrenton Office

98 Alexandria Pike, Suite 11

Warrenton, VA 20186

Toll Free: 888.907.2631

Local: 540.349.2631

Culpeper Office

209 N. West Street

Culpeper, VA 22701

Toll Free: 800.741.1012

Local: 540.825.6046