Norfolk DUI Accident Injury Lawyer Report – Drunk Driving Deaths Spike over July 4 Holiday

A fall in gas prices is likely to bring more drivers out onto the roads of Virginia this July 4 holiday.

The downside I see as an experienced Norfolk, VA car accident injury lawyer is the spike in accidents caused by drunk drivers over the holiday.

A recent fall in gas prices is likely to mean more Americans take to the roads of Virginia this July 4.

AAA auto club is expecting as up to 42.3 million Americans to travel a distance of 50 miles from home over the Independence Day holiday period that started on July 3 and runs through Sunday, July 8.

AAA auto club officials are also expecting a 42 percent increase in traffic compared to 2009, with gas prices down about 44 cents from a peak high in April.

It’s good news for consumers but I hope you will take the time to drive safely and avoid alcohol to ensure your holiday is an enjoyable one. The AAA says July 4 is the second deadliest day for driving under the influence (DUI) deaths. It comes in just behind New Year’s Day.

From 2000 to 2009, an average of 40 percent of July 4 deaths involved a driver with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) over the legal limit.

“Drunk driving is a major public safety threat that still claims thousands of lives every year,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, said in a recent media release. “Many states continue to step up their efforts to get drunk drivers off our roads, but the numbers tell us we have to do more.”

Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggests more people are killed in crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver on the weekends and at night.

I report on many DUI related injury accidents and deaths. Recently I reported on how a woman was charged with a DUI following the death of a passenger in Manassas, VA.