A recent car accident that police say was alcohol-related has resulted in its residents again requesting that town leaders address safety concerns regarding Virginia Tech Students. The crash occurred on Harrell Street in Blacksburg, when a drunk driver – later identified as a student from Virginia Tech – crashed his vehicle into three other cars, causing his vehicle to flip over.

Fortunately, no serious personal injuries were suffered, however, two of the vehicles hit were totaled. Residents site this accident as just one more in a long list of incidents involving alcohol and students from the college.

It has been decades since drunk driving claimed the life of a Sacramento, CA woman’s young daughter. In the years since, her actions have raised awareness among the general public of the dangers and resulted in massive changes to DUI laws throughout the country. Unfortunately, and despite her efforts, alcohol continues to be one of the leading causes of car accidents in the United States.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

In late April of 1980, a 13-year-old girl in Sacramento County was killed by a drunk driver as she walked to a church carnival. Her grieving mother knew she had to take action to prevent others from enduring the pain she and her family were going through. Candy Lightner started Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) that same year. Her grassroots efforts spurred a national campaign that shook the public from its apathy towards the issue and changed DUI laws across the United States.

In the decades since, more people are aware of the dangers of drunk driving, law enforcement officials have become more aggressive in their efforts at apprehending suspected offenders, and the penalties involved with DUI offenses have become more severe. While this has resulted in a decrease in the overall number of DUI-related car accidents, injuries, and deaths, it still remains a problem in this country.

According to national statistics, 32 people die each day in drunk driving crashes. This comes out to one death every 45 minutes and almost 12,000 lives lost every year. Why are these numbers so high? Likely because there are more than one million people arrested each year for driving under the influence, which is only one percent of the 111 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.

Protecting Yourself Against DUI Accidents

To protect yourself against serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol or any intoxicating substance and avoid getting into a vehicle with someone who is. To steer clear of drunk drivers on the road, be alert to the following signs:

Sudden, jerky movements
Weaving in and out of their lane
Driving either above or well below the speed limit
Driving with their lights off after dark

Contact a Virginia Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

Unfortunately, no matter how many precautions you may take to stay safe, there are far too many other drivers on the road who fail to do the same. If you are injured in a drunk driving accident, contact a Virginia car accident attorney to find out what legal options you may have.

The legal team from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has been advocating for injured clients since 1985 and will do all we can to ensure you receive the best possible outcome under the circumstances of your case. If you would like to meet with one of our skilled Va. car accident attorneys to find out how we can help, call our office today to schedule a free case evaluation.

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