Virginia State Police have reported 10 people died in 10 separate car wrecks during Memorial Day Weekend. The crashes spanned across VA including Virginia Beach, Newport News, Chesapeake, Prince William County, and Clarke County.
The data reported by police does not paint a positive picture of VA drivers. Over the four-day weekend, a total of 646 car accidents were reported along with 10,592 people stopped for speeding and 2,609 people stopped for reckless driving, according to nbc12.com.
Even more disturbing is the fact that 121 drivers were charged with a DUI, over 1,000 adults were cited for failing to wear their seat belts and 307 children were not properly restrained as required by VA law.
Why do car accident deaths and reckless driving spike during holiday weekends? It’s a good question with no single answer. The spike may be attributed to the increase in traffic volume. Another part is the atmosphere surrounding holidays. More people are prone to drink and throw caution to the wind. This is especially true during Memorial Day weekend, which is one of the first summer holidays where the weather is warm and people drive to the beach.
Of course, these are not legitimate excuses to drink and drive, fail to wear your seat belt, or speed. We all have to appreciate and respect safe driving practices. A car wreck, or getting a ticket, will almost assuredly ruin your holiday weekend.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.
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