The Center for Disease Control reports that having children at home does not decrease a driver's likelihood of getting behind the wheel and driving impaired. In 2008, 99 children aged 14 and under were killed in fatal car accidents where the driver was intoxicated. Out of 1,347 traffic fatalities involving this age group, 16 percent were killed in car accidents where alcohol played a factor.
Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys and Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers know that while serious or fatal alcohol-related Florida car accidents are on the decline, the number of car accidents where alcohol is a factor is still quite high. In 2009, the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles reported 20,085 alcohol-related crashes, killing 1,004 and leaving another 14,130 Floridians injured. Boca Raton saw 105 DUI crashes, Fort Myers reported 117 and Naples reported 136 DUI-related crashes in 2009.
Since Labor Day, both Lee and Broward Counties have reported a handful of DUI arrests involving impaired drivers with children in the car. Aside from facing a DUI charge, often drivers are additionally charged with child cruelty or neglect. In some cases, the state can choose to remove children from the home. ABC-7 reported that a 23-year-old woman was stopped by highway patrol after a witness reported an impaired driver on I-75. It was determined she had struck a guard rail causing $750 in damage. She was driving with an infant in the car.
The Miami Herald reported that over the Labor Day holiday, three drivers were charged with DUI while transporting children in separate incidents:
~ A 29-year-old Palm Springs man was speeding in Lake Worth. He was driving with his 11- and 13-year-old sons.
~ A 30-year-old Royal Palm Beach woman was cited following a car accident at S.R. 7 and Pioneer Road. She was accompanied by her 6-year-old daughter. No injuries were reported.
~ A 43-year-old Deerfield Beach man was charged after officers spotted him weaving while driving 70 m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. zone. He was traveling with his 8-year-old son.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a drunk driving car accident, contacting the Hollander Law Firm today for a free and confidential appointment will help you better understand your rights. Offices in Boca Raton @ 561-347-7770, Naples @ 239-774-7779 or Fort Myers @ 239-337-7070.
