Federal knowledge reveals that driving below the affect in Massachusetts is a rising drawback.
The variety of drivers inebriated, medicine or remedy on the time of a deadly crash “increased steadily” from 2020 to 2023 within the Bay State, in keeping with AAA Northeast, citing the newest out there knowledge from the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration.
Over the 4 years, the Commonwealth recorded 141 complete such incidents, rising from 17 in 2020 to 55 in 2023, in keeping with knowledge within the Fatality Evaluation Reporting System.
Mary Kate DePamphilis, program director for the Massachusetts chapter of Moms In opposition to Drunk Driving, says that one dying is just too many due to impaired driving, and fatality numbers “don’t consider the many others who have been injured; some severely.”
Dozens of group members gathered in Franklin on Thursday for a vigil in reminiscence of the state’s most up-to-date victims of impaired driving: 5-year-old lady Krisha Patel and her 38-year-old mom, Minaben Patel.
Suspect James Blanchard, 21, of Franklin, is accused of ingesting Tito’s Vodka straight out of a 1.75-liter bottle behind the wheel when he plowed a pickup truck head-on right into a sedan pushed by Atulkumar Patel, Krisha’s father and Minaben’s husband, the night of Might 24.
“MADD is heartbroken over the Memorial Day crash that happened in Franklin,” DePamphilis advised the Herald. “An harmless baby and her mom are not with us due to somebody’s careless resolution to drink and drive.
“Impaired driving crashes are 100% preventable,” she added, “which makes this even more tragic.”
Regionally, DePamphilis mentioned her group is working “every day to prevent these senseless deaths” in partnership with legislation enforcement, by offering training in faculties for kids and oldsters, whereas “working on strengthening impaired driving legislation.”
Moms In opposition to Drunk Driving can also be “working diligently” to advocate for the federal HALT Act, laws that may mandate impaired driving prevention know-how in all new automobiles, DePamphilis mentioned.
Decreasing the variety of impaired driving incidents within the Bay State can also be the mission of site visitors security grants awarded by means of the state Workplace of Grants and Analysis. This fiscal yr, this system issued greater than $12 million in federal funding to nonprofits, municipal police and state businesses to bolster security for all customers of the highway.
Information offered to the Herald reveals that the Massachusetts State Police performed 26 sobriety checkpoints and 40 saturation patrols between December 2023 and September 2024, totaling 7,187 hours of enforcement exercise and issuing over 11,000 citations and written warnings to drivers.
“Every day, we serve victims of impaired driving, free of charge,” DePamphilis mentioned of Moms In opposition to Drunk Driving. “We are there for families in their darkest days to help navigate through grief and the criminal justice system, eventually getting to a place in their healing journey where they can cope. I urge anyone who has been a victim of impaired driving to reach out to 1-800-MADD-HELP.”
