Over the past 100 years the motor vehicle has evolved from a novelty owned by the very rich to a necessary object that very few families can do without. Part of the growth was due to our countryâ€(TM)s population moving from the cities to suburbs where people began traveling farther and farther from their homes to work and to shop. Shopping centers and malls replaced downtown business districts and as a result the automobile became an important facet of life. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the Department of Transportation and other municipalities and agencies maintained 119,000 miles of roads and highways as of 1998. That number has since grown.
While the automobile offers great convenience and service if improperly used it is a dangerous weapon that can cause death and serious bodily injury. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the calendar year 1996 for every 140 miles of highway an illegally intoxicated driver was on the road. During that same year throughout the United States drivers with blood alcohol contents of .10% or greater were involved in 2,570,000 motor vehicle crashes that killed 13,466 persons and injured an additional 762,000 more. Further, drivers whose blood alcohol content was a bit lower either .08% or .09% were involved in additional 40,000 crashes that killed 1,067 people and injured an additional 34,000. The cost nation-wide of alcohol related motor vehicle crashes is staggering. For example, the NHTSA in 1996 estimated that throughout the country alcohol related automobile crashes cost more than 110 Billion dollars!
In the state of Pennsylvania statistics are in line with national averages. For example in 1998 535 persons died on Pennsylvania highways and alcohol related vehicle crashes and an additional 13,156 persons were injured in such crashes.
With the above ever-looming it is wise to take precautions and never drive drunk, take the keys from those who you love and suspect may be under the influence, always wear your seatbelt and make sure all of your passengers do, and of course have adequate full-tort insurance.
And remember, if you or any member of your family is injured by a drunk driver we're here to help and we have been since 1976!
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