Should There Be a Law?
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has come out with a well regarded report that estimates, based on 2005 data, that the national cost associated with deaths and injuries from car crashes exceeds $99 billion annually. Worldwide, traffic accidents are the ninth leading cause of death. By 2030 car crashes are expected to increase in rank to the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.
The above statistics are staggering. There is a lot that can be done. Get off that cell phone when driving. Wear a helmet when riding on a motorcycle. Don’t drive after drinking alcohol.
The above types of suggestions make a difference. On December 21, 2007, fast developing Vietnam adopted a mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists, and same had an instantaneous effect. All major hospitals surveyed noticed an immediate drop in the number of patients admitted for traumatic brain injuries. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, reports of serious traffic accident injuries fell by 50%.
In California crash causalities have steadily declined since the 1980’s. Safer cars, cell phone use crackdowns, mandatory seat-belt use laws, mandatory helmet use laws for motorcycle and bike riders, and sobriety checkpoints have all undoubtedly helped , but there is still more that can be done. Many Judges in California are now requiring that convicted drunk drivers install an ignition interlock device in their cars to prevent them from driving drunk.
If you have questions regarding this blog, California DUI laws, sobriety check points, or should you or a loved have had the misfortune of a DUI arrest, protect yourself to the fullest extent possible, call San Jose DUI Lawyer Bernard P. Bray.