More than one-third of all vehicle fatalities that occur in the United States are alcohol-related. Over 10,000 people die every year in an accident where at least one driver had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or more. Yet, despite all the education, touting the dangers of drinking and driving, a new study reveals that millions of Americans are still not getting the message.

According to new statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than four million people admit to driving drunk at least once in the previous month. This works out to more than 120 million instances in a year’s time.

The study, which was published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), also found that the area of the country with the highest number of people who admitted to getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking where in the Midwest.

When it comes to gender, men were responsible for 80 percent of the four million episodes of drinking and driving. Additionally, young men who are between the ages of 21 and 34 years of age were responsible for more than 30 percent of all the instances cited.

Binge drinking appears to be a particular issue with driving while drinking. More than 85 percent of those who participated admitted to binge drinking. Those binge drinkers accounted for 60 percent of those drunken driving instances. The binge drinkers also reported multiple instances of alcohol-impaired driving within the past 30 days.

Although the results of the study may seem shocking, given the negative associations society now has towards drunk driving compared to decades ago, the study’s authors did cite current strategies which do work when it comes to combatting drunk driving. Those cited included the nationwide recognition of 0.08 BAC driving statutes, law enforcement sobriety checkpoints which are announced to the public ahead of time, and the use of alcohol ignition interlocks for those convicted of drunk driving. The study also cited alcohol tax increases as another successful determent to drunk driving.

If you have been injured in a crash caused by a drunk driver, contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney today to find out what legal recourse you may have against the other driver for your pain and loss.

Sources:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/08/06/over-4-million-americans-say-theyve-driven-drunk-in-prior-month-cdc

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6430a2.htm

In 1980, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began receiving reports of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). The disease was a newly recognized one, discovered by a physician at Children’s Hospital in Denver. The doctor’s findings were published in the British medical journal The Lancet in 1978.

TSS occurs when bacteria present in the body begins to produce toxins which spread throughout the body. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, a rash resembling a sun-burn, low blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, muscle aches and seizures. Victims of TSS may go into shock or suffer from a shutdown of the renal system. Many victims of TSS have died from the disease.

During the eighties, as more and more cases of TSS were reported, research showed a direct correlation between the use of tampons during menstruation and developing TSS. By the end of 1980 the CDC had received 890 reports of TSS, with 812 of those cases determined to be caused by tampon use. Of those cases, 772 of the victims died.

A study by Yale University pointed to the change in the ingredients used to manufacture tampons as a major contributor to the development of TSS. Instead of using cotton, many companies began to produce tampons made of synthetic ingredients, like rayon and plastic, which creates a possible breeding ground for the types of bacteria which cause TSS. These deaths led to warning notices being placed on tampon packages, advising users to “change tampons every four to eight hours, including overnights.”

However, one woman and her family say that warning is not clear enough, especially to younger girls who have different sleep patterns than older women. The 27-year-old professional model had to have her leg amputated after she developed TSS brought on by using a tampon. The victim says she is lucky to be alive—she was found by a friend and rushed to the hospital. According to her doctors, when she arrived at the hospital, her internal organs were shutting down and she was just 10 minutes from death. She had also suffered a massive heart attack. The infection in her body later turned into gangrene and she needed to have her right leg amputated below the knee. Doctors say her other leg may eventually need to be amputated as well.

Although TSS does not garner the media headlines like it did in the 1980s, there are still victims of TSS, such as this young woman. If you have suffered illness or injury from toxic shock syndrome caused by a tampon, or other defective product, please contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney to discuss your case and available options.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001651.htm

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20077725,00.html

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxic-shock-syndrome/basics/risk-factors/con-20021326

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3128606/She-ten-minutes-death-Model-lost-leg-toxic-shock-syndrome-files-massive-lawsuit-against-tampon-manufacturer-says-warning-labels-like-cigarettes.html

http://www.vice.com/read/meet-the-model-who-lost-her-leg-to-toxic-shock-syndrome-611

A recent study by Texas A&M Transportation Institute and the traffic monitoring firm INRIX concluded that there are areas in the state of Connecticut which have some of the worst traffic in the country.

One area, Bridgeport-Stamford, was placed as the second worst area in the entire country when it comes to traffic jams and tie-ups. The study says that commuters in that area spend an average of 49 hours every year sitting in traffic.

According to the Urban Mobility Scorecard, Hartford is number five in the country of medium-size cities with horrific traffic jams. Motorists in Hartford spend approximately 45 hours sitting in traffic every year. Another medium-size Connecticut city, New Haven, made the list. New Haven shows up as the 11^th worst city, with drivers in that area sitting in traffic jams for nearly 40 hours per year.

Connecticut also made the list for large cities. Drivers who commute through the Connecticut-Newark-New York area spend 74 hours every year waiting for traffic to move. Those hours equal approximately 35 gallons of extra fuel idling vehicles are consuming.

What causes all of these traffic tie-ups? According to a spokesperson from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, more than half of the state’s traffic jams are caused by poor driver behavior. One of the most common results of these traffic jams are vehicle accidents.

Tragically, too many of these auto accidents result in fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 276 people killed in traffic accidents in Connecticut in 2013. Just over 180 of those victims were passengers, and 53 of victims killed were on motorcycles, 36 victims were pedestrians, and three were on bicycles.

Sixty-four victims were killed in speed-related accidents, while another 114 victims were killed in accidents which were alcohol-related.

The loss of loved one is devastating to a family, and that loss is only compounded when it is caused by the carelessness or negligence of another. If you have lost a family member in a car crash, please contact an experienced Westport wrongful death attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against those responsible for your loss.

Sources:

http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-ctm-connecticut-traffic-0828-20150827-story.html

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/9_CT/2013/9_CT_2013.htm