Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Last month, former NBA point guard Kenny Anderson got into a car accident in Broward County and walked away with a legal mess. Anderson has been charged for leaving the scene of an accident after he drove his Escalade into several trees. Officers in Broward County say that the former NBA super star will not be charged with drunk driving even though officers report that he had clearly been drinking when they found him at his home shortly after the accident. According to United Press International, Anderson admitted to drinking at a bar before the accident happened.
Anderson says that the accident happened because a tire blew out on his vehicle, which caused him to lose control of it. According to investigators, all four tires had been blown out and the rims on the vehicle were bent as well. Anderson is now a high school basketball coach in the state.
This is the second entry of a 6-part blog regarding simple New Year’s resolutions that can easily be adopted by all to make Florida roadways a safer place.
Our Broward County drunk-driving accident attorneys understand that there were nearly 11,000 people in the United States who lost their lives because of alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2009. These types of accidents account for about a third of all fatal crashes. As we kickoff the New Year, we’re asking all residents to make a New Year’s resolution that can save lives: to never drink and drive. Drunk-driving car accidents are completely preventable, so we’re asking you to make a resolution to help make our roadways safer for everyone.
To help you keep your New Year’s resolution, the Broward Sheriff’s Office is pushing its DUI Unit, including its DUI/Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT), DUI Task Force and BAT Video. All three of these components work together to help enforce drunk-driving laws. The unit also allows officers to process DUI offenders on scene and help raise awareness about drinking or boating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The Task Force conducts a number of sobriety checkpoints, which are used to detect, to investigate and to apprehend those who are believed to be drinking and driving. The Task Force isn’t just on the roadways either. They’ve teamed up with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to help share informational presentations with the community.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office is proud to use BAT video as well to help crackdown on these dangerous drivers. This technology helps to prosecute alleged offenders by providing courts with videotaped evidence of the drunk-driving incident.
Lastly, the sheriff’s office offers assistance to help our state’s young drivers to learn about the dangers of drunk driving. The city conducts a number of Field Officer Training and public displays, Teenage Drinking and Driving Awareness programs, displays of the “BAT-mobile” and DUI Saturation Patrols.
Floridians are asked to make the New Year’s resolution to stay sober behind the wheel. Drunk driving is dangerous, can be deadly and can turn into a legal headache. Don’t drink and drive and help to save lives in 2012! Happy New Year!
If you or someone in your family has been injured in a traffic accident with a drunk driver in Broward County or elsewhere in South Florida, contact the personal injury lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez. Call for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights at 1-800-529-2368.
More Blog Entries:
MADD’s 5th Anniversary Campaign to Reduce Risks of Holiday Drunk-Driving Accidents in Greenacres, Nation, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, December 10, 2011
Learned Behavior Can Result in Higher Risk of Teen Involvement in Drunk Driving Accidents in Fort Pierce, Elsewhere, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, September 30, 2011