Posted on September 28, 2017 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Worried about being hit by a drunk driver? Maybe you have a family member who was injured or killed in a DUI accident. Maybe you've just read the statistics and you know how high the risk really is.

Either way, there are things you can do to avoid drunk drivers. Some steps include:

1. Staying off of back roads. Many drunk driving accidents happen on rural roads. Some suggest sticking to the larger, four-lane highways whenever you can. That's not to say drunk driving accidents never happen there, but the risk may be lower.
2. Staying off the roads at night. It's often best not to drive after midnight at all. Drunk driving is very common at night, especially as it gets later and the bars close. If possible, try to make sure you're safely at home during these problematic hours.
3. Don't drive as much on the weekends. The risks of a DUI accident go up at night, and the worst nights are often Friday and Saturday — what technically may be Saturday morning and Sunday morning.

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 Posted on September 25, 2017 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Believe it or not, studies have found that more than 50 percent of all fatal collisions happen after the sun goes down.

Your first instinct may be to assume that this is normal, given that nighttime hours accounting for a significant portion of the day. However, they typically do not account for 50 percent of the day, and the amount of miles being driven after the sun goes down is substantially lower than the amount of miles driven throughout the rest of the day.

Vehicle miles driven is really the best way to look at the odds of being in a crash. A review of statistics shows that the amount of deadly accidents at night is massively disproportionate to the number of miles driven. Why are people so much more likely to be killed after dark?

There are many potential reasons. Visibility is reduced, even with modern headlights, making some accidents harder to avoid. Some studies have found that the distance drivers need to stop significantly increases during the night, and this has been linked to increased reaction times.

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 Posted on September 22, 2017 in Truck Accidents

Accidents between passenger vehicles and semi-truck s tend to result in catastrophic injuries. In many situations, they're also fatal. For this reason, every driver of a passenger car, and every driver of an 18-wheeler, needs to educate him or herself regarding the common causes of semi-truck crashes in order to prevent these scenarios.

Here is how semi-truck crashes often happen in Virginia:

• When drivers don't follow the rules of the road, like speeding laws, passing laws and other life-saving regulations.
• When a truck driver accelerates or stops too quickly, or when passenger vehicles maneuver too quickly around a semi-truck and the truck driver cannot react in time.
• Underinflated tires on both passenger vehicles and 18-wheelers.
• When cargo has shifted inside a commercial truck, leaving it off balance.
• When a truck driver is low on sleep and fatigued.
• When a truck driver is abusing substances to stay awake.
• When a trucking company fails to safely maintain its vehicle.

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 Posted on September 14, 2017 in Drunk Driving Accidents

You always have a lot to do, so you usually multitask in the car. You listen to voicemails, check your email, and talk on the phone. You want to make the most of your time and get things done on your commute, not just after you get to work.

At the same time, you'd never drink and drive. You know how dangerous it is. Yes, you don't want a ticket, but you really don't want to put yourself and others in danger.

According to a number of experts, you already are. They say that multitasking while behind the wheel is really not that different from driving drunk.

One University of Michigan professor of psychology claimed that driving performance was equally poor for those who were under the influence and those who were on their phones. At the same time, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology neuroscientist claimed that many things on the road happen within someone's vision, but that those who are on their phones tend not to see these events, even in their visual periphery.

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 Posted on September 12, 2017 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

You may have heard that the type of vehicle you own can save your life in an accident. In short, people will say that you're safer in a truck or an SUV than you are in a car. Is this true?

It can be. It all depends on the type of accident.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) examined the statistics, and they noted that smaller vehicles are at a disadvantage in multiple-car crashes. Those accidents could be as small as a two-car crash at a stoplight or as large as a 50-car pileup on an icy interstate.

Size is the reason. Larger cars have more mass and a stronger, larger structure to absorb the force of the crash. They also ride higher. This keeps people safe when accidents are unavoidable. Occupant death statistics show that people die far less often in SUVs and pickup trucks.

However, cars are far less likely to be involved in deadly crashes involving only one vehicle. This is especially true for rollover accidents. Most of the people who are in these fatal wrecks are driving trucks and SUVs.

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 Posted on September 07, 2017 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Virginia police do everything they can to patrol the roads and arrest drunk drivers. These efforts have no doubt saved many lives by getting potentially dangerous drivers off our streets and freeways. In this respect, it's always pleasant to see hard-working Virginia law enforcement officers receiving recognition for their good works.

Forty law enforcement officers from Southwest Virginia will be honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on Sept. 14 in a special recognition banquet. The officers are from Norton City, Wise County and Dickenson County.

This year's ceremonies will be held in memory of guitarist Thomas Estep, who died last New Year's Day in a drunk driving accident. The guitarist's former band member, Kaitlyn Baker, will be performing in memory of the man who was fatally struck by a drunk driver head-on, after the intoxicated driver crossed the centerline of traffic. The driver was later convicted of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and DUI.

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 Posted on August 31, 2017 in Pedestrian Accidents

Every time you take your bike out for a ride around Manassas, you feel like drivers just won't give you any space. You're always about six inches from being hit — or, at least, that's how it seems.

So, how often are cyclists actually hit by cars? The injury and fatality statistics are telling.

The numbers are holding fairly steady. In 2006, a total of 772 cyclists were killed when they were hit by cars. In 2015, the total was 818. That's an increase of six percent, though the population also increased during that time.

Injury statistics also rose, but not that much. In 2006, reports estimate that 44,000 cyclists were hurt in accidents. In 2015, the total was 45,000. That increase is a mere 2.3 percent.

The cost of all of those accidents is incredible. Estimates put it at $4 billion annually.

Now, you may be wondering if you're at a high risk. Part of it depends on your age. In 1988, the average age of a cyclist at the time of a deadly crash was 24. In 1998, it rose to 32. In 2004, it hit 39. In 2014, it reached 45.

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 Posted on August 28, 2017 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

A loved one was killed in a deadly rollover accident. He or she was riding with a friend, and you're thinking about trying to get financial compensation to help cover the funeral costs, medical costs and other financial issues stemming from this tragic death.

What you need to know, is whether or not the driver was negligent and therefore responsible for that crash. Below are a few common rollover accident causes to consider,

1. Speed

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that excessive speeding takes place in about 40 percent of these deadly accidents. If the driver broke the speed limit, he or she could have directly caused the death.

2. Alcohol

About 50 percent of these fatal wrecks are linked back to alcohol, according to the NHTSA. This is true even when a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is under 0.08.

3. Distraction

The NHTSA found that most vehicles — a full 90 percent — were not doing anything more than routine driving maneuvers when the rollover crashes happened. From this, they surmise that drivers may have been distracted by cell phones or passengers, making them unable to handle even these standard driving tasks.

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 Posted on August 24, 2017 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Two men have been sentenced to prison relating to a 2015 drunk driving accident that killed one person and injured three people. One of the men, a 35-year-old, will spend the next seven years in prison. The other man, a 34-year-old, will spend the next five years in prison.

The 35-year-old was convicted of DUI maiming, DUI manslaughter and DUI failure to yield. The 34-year-old was convicted of DUI manslaughter, DUI and DUI maiming.

An attorney for the Commonwealth stated that both men had been operating their vehicles while intoxicated. The 34-year-old was driving a 2004 Mustang northbound at approximately 2:30 a.m., with a passenger in the front seat. As he entered the intersection of Greenwich Road and Newton Road in Virginia Beach, the 35-year-old man, driving a 2008 Malibu, failed to yield when making a left turn and drove into his path. The Mustang violently collided with the Malibu.

The 35-year-old was speeding and the 34-year-old failed to yield, and both were intoxicated. Authorities blamed them both for the accident, for the death of a 33-year-old female passenger in the Malibu, and for serious injuries to other passengers.

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 Posted on August 18, 2017 in Car Accidents

Ever wonder why teen drivers have extra restrictions when they first start driving? Are you also wondering why they have a persistent reputation as poor drivers, even so?

If you've ever felt that this reputation is unfair, just take a look at the following facts:

1. For those between 16 years old and 20 years old, the National Center for Health Statistics reports that nothing takes more lives than motor vehicle accidents.

2. Most teen accidents happen at night or late in the evening.

3. The odds of an accident go up, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reports, when teens have friends in the car with them.

4. Most high school seniors — 71 percent, per a study that was carried out — said they used a cellphone while behind the wheel.

5. Despite their high crash rates, teens feel confident, anyway, especially when they are seniors. Seniors reported more confidence in their abilities than even younger drivers, suggesting that they feel two or three years of experience is enough.

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