(703) 273-9500

Blogs

Car Accidents

11/23/2008
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
Comments (0)

Dangerous Thanksgiving Highways

I blogged a few weeks ago during National Teen Driver Safety Week. Among the statistics I quoted was that teen deaths due to car crashs are down this year compared to last. As so happens with statistics, however, that did not tell the whole story.

In fact, according to the Virginia State Police, compared to last year, teen deaths are UP in Virginia during the past eight weeks, which includes National Teen Driver Safety Week. Here are the stats:

- During September, October and the first two weeks of November, 35 teens died in crashes on roadways in Virginia

- Of the 12 young people who died in November:

o All ranged in age from 16 to 20

o 11 were male

o 8 were not wearing a safety belt

o 7 crashes were on rural roads

o Alcohol was involved in 1 fatality

o 7 crashes involved teen drivers

- Of the 23 fatalities in September and October:

o 13 were male

o 10 were female, including one pedestrian

o 8 were not wearing a safety belt

o Alcohol played a part in 2 crashes and possibly 6 others

o 7 crashes involved teen drivers

o 7 occurred on rural roads

And, we’re not even to the Thanksgiving holiday yet, a 120-hour period where 19 people lost their lives in 18 fatal crashes last year.

Also, with 75% of our state troopers working the roads over the holiday, Virginia State Police reminds us of Virginia’s Move Over Law that requires motorists to move to another travel lane or, if that cannot be done safely, to slow down to cautiously pass emergency personnel stopped along the side of the road. Read my recent blog about this law.