Drunk Drivers and Speeding Contribute to Hesperia Car Accidents

With a population of nearly 88,000 people, Hesperia in San Bernardino County, California is the fourth largest city in the Palmdale Metropolitan Area. This high desert locale presents motorists with many wide-open stretches of highway, and Hesperia car accident lawyers will admit that some people will drive excessively fast, resulting in tragic collisions. Adding to the danger are drunk drivers who have been responsible for several car crashes in the city.

Between 2001 and 2003, Hesperia suffered 34 fatal car crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This averages out to 5.4 fatal Hesperia car crashes per 10,000 people, which exceeds the national norm.

California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) revealed that in 2006, 13 people died and 250 were injured in Hesperia car collisions. Bicycle accidents injured seven and motorcycle collisions resulted in one death. Pedestrian accidents ended in four fatalities and seven injuries. That same year, drunk drivers were responsible for five fatalities and 33 crash injuries in Hesparia. Throughout California, 1,597 people died and 31,099 were injured due to alcohol-related crashes--this, compared to 1,574 fatalities and 30,810 injuries in 2005. In 2007, 12 car crashes resulted in 13 deaths.

Hesperia car collision attorneys have indicated that many of the area's accidents could have been prevented if drunk drivers were taken off the streets.

In a proactive effort to curtail accidents caused by DUI motorists, the Hesperia Police Department was among 25 police agencies in San Bernardino County that took part in the AVOID the 25 DUI campaign in 2007. Members of AVOID the 25 DUI Task Force set up 14 DUI Sobriety/CDL checkpoints, 78 DUI Saturation Enforcement Patrols and three underage drinking programs with ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) officers countywide. In 2007 alone, the effort resulted in nearly 500 arrests of suspected drunk drivers.

The AVOID the 25 DUI programs also help raise the public's awareness of the dangers and consequences of DUI behavior. ABC officers join law enforcement officers to perform undercover work to help prevent underage drinking at house parties and locate underage persons in possession of alcohol. In addition, educational information is handed out at checkpoints that underscore the dangers of drinking and driving, and to ask motorists to report any drunk drivers on the road by calling 911.

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

BISNAR | CHASE, in conjunction with WeTip, a leading anonymous crime reporting service and law enforcement advocacy non-profit organization, is launching a program intended to wipe out hit-and-runs in the state of California by offering rewards for tips leading to the arrest and felony conviction of hit-and-run drivers. See Hit-and-Run Reward for more details.

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.