If true, the results would be in line with the number of  Minnesota traffic fatalities last year — 456.

In a press release this week, DPS said 104 people have died in Minnesota road accidents through May 4, including six pedestrians and three motorcyclists. In 2008, the state hit the 100-fatality milestone on April 23.

Cheri Marti, director of  the DPS’ Office of Traffic Safety, noted that the 2009 tally would be lower if more people wore seat belts. She estimated that 700,000 Minnesotans do not wear seat belts.

Of eight traffic deaths statewide in April, for instance, five who died were not wearing seat belts, the DPS said.

“These fatal crashes involving unbelted motorists serve as a wake-up call,” Marti said in the press release. “Whatever your excuse is for not buckling up, these crashes demonstrate an excuse won’t help you when you are involved in a crash.”

Minnesota car accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen have represented car accident victims and survivors for decades. Our attorneys are highly visible in the legal community as frequent speakers on car accident injuries, including traumatic brain injury. 

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car crash, a Minnesota car accident lawyer at Pritzker Olsen can be readily reached by calling 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by completing one of our free online case consultation forms.

The State Patrol said the monthly total was the highest since the program known as NightCap started last October.

The program targets the 13 counties with the highest number of fatal accidents: Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright.

Since last Fall, NightCap enforcement efforts have resulted in 850 drunk driver arrests.

The March NightCap news release from the State Patrol didn’t mention how many fatal accidents occurred during March, but State Patrol records reviewed by the  Minnesota car accident lawyers at PrtizkerOlsen, P.A., showed there were nine fatal accidents on state-policed roads for the month of March.

The records include information as to whether alcohol was a factor in any of the crashes.

The five counties are Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne and Stearns.

According to the Winter 2009 newsletter of the Office of Traffic Safety, law enforcement officers will target various traffic corridors and mark them with illuminated “DWI Arrest Zone” signs. The officers also will patrol other roads in search of motorists who attempt to circumnavigate the high-visibility DWI enforcement areas.

As car accident lawyers who represent injury victims of alcohol-related crashes, the firm of PritzkerOlsen Attorneys applauds the measure. In 2008, a series of special DWI enforcement efforts resulted in 52,833 vehicle stops resulting in more than 3,000 DWI arrests — one arrest per 17 traffic stops.

Under Minnesota Statute, Section 169A, it is a violation of Minnesota law to drive with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more.  If someone violates this law, it is prima facie evidence of negligence in a civil case (Minnesota Statutes, Section 169.96 (2006).

In a civil action against a drunk driver, the injured party can ask for punitive damages, which, depending on the circumstances, can be significant.  For example, PritzkerOlsen won $6,000,000 on behalf of a 26 year-old female passenger whose right leg was traumatically amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver.

Special DWI enforcement initiatives can help reduce the chances of such accidents ever happening.

According to the Office of Traffic Safety, the state’s 13 deadliest counties for impaired driving are Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright. The 13 counties accounted for nearly half of the state’s alcohol-related deaths (272) and serious injuries (663) during 2005-2007.

In law enforcement circles, St. Patrick’s Day has its own set of statistics that a good car accident lawyer knows from experience.

Statewide on St. Patrick’s Day, alcohol-related car accidents accounted for seven of 13 traffic deaths over the three most recent years for which statistics are available: 2005-2007.

During that same period, 1,575 impaired drivers were arrested for DWI.
With that in mind, State Troopers, city police departments and sheriff’s deputies are encouraging St. Patrick’ Day pub-goers and partiers to plan ahead for a sober ride home.

Officers in many municipalities and counties across the state will increase patrols in search of unlucky leprechauns who choose to drink and drive on St. Patrick’s Day.

Under Minnesota Statute, Section 169A, it is a violation of Minnesota law to drive with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more. If someone violates this law, it is prima facie evidence of negligence in a civil case (Minnesota Statutes, Section 169.96 (2006). In a civil action against a drunk driver, the injured party can ask for punitive damages, which, depending on the circumstances, can be significant.

The car accident lawyers at PritzkerOlsen Attorneys are deeply experienced in representing car accident victims and their survivors. Very often, our investigators find a dram shop claim is part of an auto accident case. When a dram shop claim is part of a fatal car accident case, our lawyers know how to fight for fair compensation.

Absence of tire tread and low tire pressure are factors that can contribute to Minnesota car accident injuries and deaths.  If you are involved in an injury crash, a car accident lawyer at PritzkerOlsen Attorneys can determine the elements of driver negligence and provide premier representation in recovering compensation for your losses.

According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one in 10 passenger cars on U.S. roads are driven with at least one bald tire.

Another major NHTSA study in 2001 found that 14 percent of gas stations are either not equipped with air pumps or have malfunctioning pumps. Also, only 49 percent of gas stations that are equipped with air pumps provide tire pressure gauges, which are critical to determining if the correct amount of air has been delivered to tires.

Here’s what the NHTSA had to say in research findings that are still prominent in the field:

“Tire tread provides the gripping action and traction that prevent a vehicle from sliping and sliding, especially when the road is wet or icy. In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16th of an inch. Tires have built-in treadwear indicators that let a motorist know when they should be replaced. These indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear “even” with the outside of the tread, it’s time for tire replacement.”

“Bald tires are between 1.5 and 1.8 times more likely to be underinflated than are tires with deeper tread, depending on tire location.”

“Twenty-seven percent of passenger cars on U.S. roadways are driven with one or more substantially under-inflated tires.”

Besides increasing the risk of blowouts, under-inflated tires also shorten tire life and increase fuel consumption.

The CDC said the current national average motor vehicle death rate is well above the Healthy People 2010 objective.  The highest state death rate (Mississippi) is four times the lowest state rate (Massachusetts).

An article by the CDC cited in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said that during 1999-2005, compared with the national average of 15.4 deaths per 100,000 population, motor vehicle-related death rates were 36 percent lower in the Northeast (9.8 deaths per 100,000 population), 5 percent lower in the Midwest (14.7 deaths per 100,000 population), and 8 percent lower in the West (14.2  deaths per 100,000 population), but considerably higher in the South by 27 percent (19.5 deaths per 100,000 population).

The South accounted for 46 percent of deaths during the period studied, but only 36 percent of population.

The agency noted that a previous study suggested that drivers in the Southern rural areas may travel more miles, increasing the probability of serious collisions.

Prevention measures like lower blood alcohol concentration laws, vehicle safety improvements, better roads, improved emergency response, primary seat belt laws and alcohol checkpoints may help communities to save lives.