Drunk Driving Carries Frightening Consequences, Washington Attorney Reminds Halloween Party Goers
Halloween night can be one of the deadliest nights of the year on Washington roads due to impaired drivers. Don't contribute to the problem. If you're going to a party, plan ahead and find a safe way home, Seattle attorney Dean Brett says.
Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) October 21, 2010
If you’re going to hang out with ghosts and goblins at a Halloween party this October, please make sure to find a safe way home instead of drinking and driving, Seattle, Washington personal injury attorney Dean Brett says.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics, drunk driving has become a serious problem in the United States. A recent NHTSA survey indicated that 1 in 5 Americans say they have driven after drinking.
Halloween night, in particular, can be one of the most dangerous nights of the year. In 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night (6 p. m. Oct. 31 to 5:59 a. m. Nov. 1) involved a car or motorcycle driver with a blood alcohol concentration of.08 or higher, the NHTSA reports.
“Don’t contribute to the problem by driving home from a Halloween party under the influence of alcohol,” says Brett, whose law firm, Brett & Coats, Attorneys at Law, PLLC, represents victims of car accidents and motorcycle accidents, including those involving drunk drivers.
The firm has dedicated a website, http://www. victimsofdrunkdrivers. com, to providing statistics, information and other resources to Washington residents whose lives have been impacted by an accident with an intoxicated driver. The site also tracks developments in local and national efforts to prevent drunk driving and DUI/DWI accidents.
“Plan ahead so that you will have a safe way home,” Brett says. “Otherwise, you and others may be encountering the very real, very frightening consequences of drunk driving.”
Brett reminds drivers that drunk driving can lead to jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, higher insurance rates, forfeiture of your vehicle and the possibility of being held liable for reckless or negligent driving in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
“It endangers the health and safety of you and everyone else on the road,” Brett says.
Instead of getting behind the wheel after you have been drinking, or allowing someone else to drive home drunk, Brett suggests:
Making sure you will have a designated sober driver; Calling a taxi, using public transportation or contacting a friend or family member to get you home safely; or Taking the keys away from someone whom you know is about to drive home impaired.
“Finding another way home is not an inconvenience,” Brett says. “It’s common sense.”
About Brett & Coats
Brett & Coats, Personal Injury Attorneys, PLLC is a personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham and Spokane. The firm represents car accident victims, including those injured in DUI/DWI accidents, and other personal injury victims throughout the state of Washington. For more information, call the firm at 1.800.925.1875, use its online form or visit http://www. victimsofdrunkdrivers. com.
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