As Thanksgiving draws nearer, Pennsylvania residents everywhere are getting excited about the holiday season. The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are among the most celebrated all year across the country. While this can be a positive thing it can also bring about new risks that you and your family should be aware of. One of the biggest risks is that posed to you by drunk drivers.
The negligent decision of a person to operate a vehicle after consuming alcohol can turn your holiday celebration into a holiday tragedy all too quickly. In looking at data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is evident that impaired driving continues to be a serious problem in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2011, there were 398 vehicular fatalities associated with alcohol in Pennsylvania. The following year that number rose to 407 before dropping in 2013 to 360 and then to 349 in 2014. Sadly, in 2015 the number of people killed by drunk drivers jumped to 364.
Lycoming County experienced more drunk driving deaths in those five years than any of its neighboring counties with a total of 29 lives lost. The county with the next closest number of fatalities was Bradford County with 18 deaths followed by Columbia and Clinton Counties with 14 and 13 fatalities, respectively. Ten deaths were recorded in Tioga County and all remaining adjacent counties recorded between three and eight drunk driving deaths.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give Pennsylvania residents an overview of how serious the problem of drunk driving is throughout their state.
Written on behalf of Friedman Schuman. Contact our firm for a consultation to discuss your legal matter.
