Elk Grove Police Department Announces $200,000 Grant
I’m Ed Smith, an Elk Grove car accident lawyer. The police department in Elk Grove announced that a grant of $220,000 has been given to the department to raise public awareness and conduct special enforcement events. This grant, given by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) will provide programs over the next year designed to lower traffic injuries and deaths.
Increasing Traffic Accidents in Elk Grove
A representative of the police department in Elk Grove reported that fatalities on state roads have increased by 17 percent following a low of 10 years. The OTC, in statistics from 2014, showed 651 injuries or deaths from traffic accidents in Elk Grove. Fourteen involved motorcycles, 20 involved pedestrians and 36 involved bicyclists. There were 245 arrests made for drunk driving, and 166 of the accident injuries or fatalities had speeding as a factor in the crashes. In 2015, fatalities in the state totaled 3,429 and showed that traffic deaths that involved bicyclists and pedestrians accounted for 25 percent.
Effectiveness of Checkpoints
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sobriety checkpoints can lower the incidence of drunk driving accidents by 20 percent. The statistics are the result of 11 separate studies that were conducted.
Speed and the Incidence of Motor Vehicle Accidents
The AAA Foundation reports that speeding contributed to almost ⅓ of the crashes between the years 2002 and 2011, and that an increase of only 1 percent in speed results in a 2 percent increase in injuries, a 3 percent increase in severe injuries and a 4 percent increase in fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that over half of traffic fatalities were caused by driving above the posted speed limits.
How the Grant Money Will Be Utilized
The director of the OTS states that enforcement and education are ways that can be used to change negligent behavior, and keep the streets around Elk Grove safer. Activities the money from the grant will be used for during the following year include:
- Checkpoints for DUI
- Safety enforcement for pedestrians and bicyclists
- Saturation patrols that target drunk drivers
- Enforcement of safety for motorcycle riders
- Enforcement of traffic infractions such as running red lights and stop signs and speeding
- Enforcement of distracted driving
Injuries Caused by Negligence
Accidents and their resulting injuries are always unexpected. However, they can result in high medical bills for hospitalization, outpatient care and rehabilitation. An injury victim can lose time from work and it can disrupt the entire family emotionally, physically and financially. If another driver or entity was responsible, it is a good idea to contact an experienced Elk Grove car accident lawyer to find out what your options are to recover compensation. In this way, you may recover the costs associated with the crash without the financial worry.
Elk Grove Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, an Elk Grove car accident lawyer. Negligence by a driver that involves not obeying the rules of the road can cause serious trauma such as brain injury or result in a wrongful death to others who are sharing the road. If you have been a victim of a negligent driver or have lost your loved one, call me at (916) 694-0002, or if you are outside the area, call (800) 404-5400. I can offer you my advice, which is friendly and free and carries no obligation. If you prefer, you can fill out an online contact form on my website, autoaccident.com, and I will get back to you promptly.
The following websites carry reviews of my practice:
In my 35 years of practice as an injury lawyer, I have assisted many Northern California residents, including those in Elk Grove, seeking fair compensation for their personal injuries. To see a sampling of some of our cases, please go to verdicts and settlements.
I also belong to a group called the Million Dollar Advocates, which is restricted to trial lawyers with verdicts and/or settlements of $1 million or more.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/squad-car-police-lights-city-urban-1209719/
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