When it comes to feeling safe on the road in Pennsylvania, you have every reason to believe this is or should be a basic right for all people. However, the reality is that individuals can and do make reckless and negligent choices that often put innocent people in harm’s way. Even as car safety features improve or as laws get tougher, nothing can stop a driver from choosing to speed or drive after drinking, for example. Just how serious is the problem?
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 1,188 people died in automobile accidents across Pennsylvania in 2016 alone. Of those fatalities, 15 occurred in Lycoming County. Those deaths included drivers, passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists alike. Bikers accounted for 191 of the statewide deaths and 1 of the county deaths in 2016. Another 169 of the people killed last year in the state were pedestrians. In Lycoming County, three people on foot perished in senseless crashes.
Speeding and drinking were found to be factors in many of the fatal wrecks. Five people in Lycoming County and 505 in the entire state died in crashes in which excessive speed was noted. When it comes to collisions involving alcohol, 307 of the statewide deaths and four of the county deaths happened in these types of incidents.
Written on behalf of Friedman Schuman Layser . Contact our firm for a consultation to discuss your legal matter.