4th of July – Fireworks, Food and Tragedy
True to trend, this 4th of July holiday weekend was another tragic one across Ohio. While I cherish the memories and time spent with my loved ones, the professional side of my holiday weekend is always filled with heartache.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol just released their official reports. From June 30 through July 4th, 17 people lost their lives in traffic accidents. In at least 5 of those accidents, impaired driving was proven to be the cause.
Over 900 OVI arrests have also been confirmed over the same time period. An additional 624 drug related arrests were made. This and other factors contributed to a total of more than 800 car accidents across our great state. This year’s totals is up from 2016, with the fatality count rising above 20%.
Impaired Driving Isn’t a Holiday Festivity
Unfortunately, while the holidays may lead to an increase in occurrence and tragedy related to impaired driving – This is a very real issue our society is facing all year through. It seems to be easy for many to justify a drink and drive here and there – Without a mere thought of the potential consequences.
The fact of the matter is, when you drink and drive you say that other lives don’t matter. That your life doesn’t matter. The legal limit indicates the point when a person becomes too affected by alcohol to safely react, operate and control a vehicle. Personal responsibility and the sanctity of human life should be inherent.
The only way we are going to enact change is to change the way things are done which continues to allow this reckless behavior. Insurance companies must be held accountable, if they continue to promote and protect drivers that abuse their driving privileges. Our legal system, including penalties, fines and punishment, must hold guilty parties accountable. Society as a whole has got to change the way we act and behave.
The ripple effect that one drunk driver can have on a family is truly devastating. Each and every individual that has lost his or her life in a drunk driving accident is a life wasted – A completely preventable tragedy that took a mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter and friend away.
I urge you to think before you drink, and to hold your friends and loved ones to a higher standard as well. If you or someone you love was seriously injured or tragically lost their life as a result of a drunk driver – You need to call me immediately.
As your Ohio accident attorney, I’ll be there for you, and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
Author: Tim Misny | For over four decades, personal injury lawyer Tim Misny has represented the injured victim in in birth injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases, serving Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Dayton and neighboring communities. You can reach Tim by email at misnylaw.com/ask-tim-a-question/ or call at 877.944.4373.