Hawaii Personal Injury Blog - death or injury

Micronesian Crewman Killed in Boat Fire on M/V Manaloa at Pier 38

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:44:34 GMT

The Manaloa, a 75-foot fishing vessel had just returned from 30 days at sea with 20,000 pounds of Ahi in the hold. The crew had gone ashore to rest and one crew member was on the Manaloa when a fire started at about 10 P.M. Saturday night near at Pier 38 according to a report in the Honolulu Advertiser. The lone crew member aboard had been drinking according to news reports and a propane stove was found near the wheel well area. It appears that he had attempted to cook some food. The investigation is continuing.

According to KHON TV News, the Manaloa fishing vessel, returned home with approximately 20,000 pounds of fish after spending several weeks at sea.

According to Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Earle Kealoha:

At about 10:15 last night, fire units responded to a report of a fire on a boat docked at Pier 38. The fire took a little more than 15 minutes to contain. It appears to have started in the crew living quarters area behind the wheelhouse of a 75-foot commercial Police initially did not find the lone crew member on the boat. They learned after putting out the fire that someone else may boat and returned to the boat where they found the body of a Micronesian man in his 30s in an auxiliary space below the wheelhouse and just forward of the engine room. Firefighters brought the man's body up onto the pier.

According to fire officials, some of the crew members went out to drink, and later one of 'em decided to go back to the boat to cook something.

"He's drink, inside broke window, go inside, and cooking, sleeping, blow up," said Seok Kim, the Captain's friend.

Witness, Lonne Fiero said, "I saw smoke and the fire engines were already here hooking up their water trying to put it out."

"Shortly after arrival we had reports that there might have been someone still aboard the ship. After the fire was contained our crews did go down to the lower sections of the vessel and we did find a male approximately in his 30's," said HFD Captain Earle Kealoha. "This was the only individual aboard the boat."

The KITV News Video shows the charred structure of the boat.

It is unknown who the Micronesian crew member was or whether he had any family here to look out for his affairs and investigate a Jones Act claim that could benefit his family back home. I believe he may be from Ponape. If his negligence was the sole cause of his death then his family may not want to pursue a claim but someone should investigate the matter for the family to determine what happened and explain the law to them. Since the crew member is dead, he can't tell us what happened or defend himself if others say he was at fault. If he has a family back in Micronesia, they may be entitled to compensation under The Jones Act.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Three Young Men Die in Waihee Single Car Car Crash

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:58:28 GMT

A Maui family struggles to cope with the triple loss of two brothers and their cousin accoirding to a report from the Star Bulletin by Wendy Osher on 07 October 2009.

The two brothers and their cousin died when their car crashed against a tree and rolled over in Waihee on September 30th. They will be buried side by side this weekend at a small cemetery in Keanae, Maui.

COURTESY KANA AND NATHAM FAMILIES

Tyson Latham, left, his cousin Na'ilima Kana, in front of him, and Na'ilima's brother Jared Kalamaku Kana were great young men with promising lives and many loving friends and family. Na'ilima, the driver, died at the scene; his brother and cousin died within a few days.

According to the Star Bulletin story, their families say that although they lived in Central Maui, they remained rooted in their Hawaiian culture and their ancestral ties to the rural taro farming community of Keanae in East Maui.

"For our family it is devastating," said cousin Oralani Koa. "The hardest part is they are all so young, they were all good boys, they were all raised right and they were all very respectful. And all three never really knew the impact they had on so many people," she said.

The young men had gone out to dinner Wednesday night at the Asian Cuisine restaurant in Kahului, where they often went for discount sushi. On their way home to the Kana residence in Waihee, their vehicle swerved out of control and overturned, coming to rest against a tree on Kahekili Highway. The accident occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m., just one driveway away from their intended destination. None was wearing a seat belt, according to police.

"Passing that spot every day is a constant reminder of their loss," said Latham's aunt Liliana Koa. "It's still very hard for the family to talk about."

Although police think that speed was a factor in the crash the boys were responsible and not reckless. The testimonials show that Maui has suffered a tragic loss:

"They wouldn't drive recklessly or crazy," said Ashley Rosa, Latham's cousin and classmate. "It shocks me that it happened. I've always trusted them and never felt like my life was in danger when I was with them."

The two older boys "were like two peas in a pod," said Veralyn "Sissy" Frame of her son Tyson and his cousin Na'ilima. "They fought yet they loved and agreed to disagree because they were alike in so many ways."

"They were always trying to get the last word in," said Rosa. "If Tyson said, 'Oh, my God,' Na'ilima would come back and say, 'My God,' too."

They were also both conscientious and caring when it came to family, Rosa said. "They wouldn't just drop me off. They would get out of their car and walk me to the front door to make sure I was safely inside before leaving," she added.

"They never knew that by doing those kinds of things, they would touch so many people," said Koa.

Na'ilima Kana, who was driving the car, a 2004 Mazda sedan, died at the scene. He was a Kamehameha Schools Maui graduate and worked as an editor at AKAKU: Maui Community Television.

Jay April, AKAKU president and chief executive officer, called him "a bright light" with a "winning smile and dancing eyes."

"We always appreciated his soft, gentle reminders on how to pronounce Hawaiian words correctly, and his enormous talent as an editor of our Maui Daily program far exceeded his years," April said on the station's Web site.

"He was very responsible, always on time, very akamai (smart), independent, organized and a very good father," said Leinani Kana, Na'ilima's mother.

Na'ilima is survived by a 1-year-old daughter, Kahali'aoku'uhaola Emma Kana-Yarborough, who celebrated her birthday just one week before the accident. Her first name is translated as "the remembrance of my everlasting breath."

Na'ilima's younger brother, Kalamaku, who was in the back seat, survived four days in critical condition before dying on Sunday.

"Kalamaku was a simple person who didn't ask for much and was content with what he had," said his mom.

From working the taro patches to playing his acoustic bass guitar and strategizing at card games, Kalamaku was a hands-on person with a good sense of humor, his family says.

"From the bottom up, he helped build our home," said his father, Jacob Kana. "That's why it's so hard, because he's everywhere."

The Kana brothers had gone to Hawaiian immersion school through the eighth grade, but Kalamaku continued the cultural program through high school and was expected to graduate in the spring as one of 10 members of the 10th Kula Kaiapuni o Maui graduating class at King Kekaulike High School.

Since Wednesday, friends and family have been visiting the hospital and the homes of the two families, offering support and comfort. "They cook for us, pray for us; without them we cannot go through this," said Latham.

Tyson Latham is also survived by older sister Jana Frame of Hana and grandparents Ora Souza Latham and Verlin "Bill" and Kiele Ka'auamo Frame.

Services for the Kana brothers and Latham will be held Friday at St. Anthony Church in Wailuku. Visitation is from 3 to 9 p.m. with a service at 6:30 p.m. A separate viewing will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Camp Keanae YMCA gym, with burial to follow at St. Gabriel Church cemetery in Keanae.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

What Caused A Motorcyclist To Crash on Papipi Road Sunday?

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:16:40 GMT

In a news story posted in the Honolulu Advertiser on Sunday another motorcycle injury is reported

(Man in critical condition after motorcycle accident inwww.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090928/BREAKING01/309280013/Man+in+critical+condition+after+motorcycle+accident+in+Ewa+Beach Ewa Beach). The incident occurred on Papipi Road near Laguna Loop in Ewa Beach and the man was reported to be in critical condition after the 12:30 pm incident. This is another in a long series of injury and death crashes involving motorcycles throughout the year in the Islands. According to initial reports:

HFD Capt. Earle Kealoha said when emergency crews arrived they found the unidentified man lying in the road. He was believed to be in his 30s.

Kealoha said it was not obvious which way the motorcycle was headed, and witnesses said the man may have swerved to avoid a car coming out of a side street.

There is a tendency to blame the motorcycle driver for these incidents, probably a throw-back to concepts of The Hell's Angels and motorcycle gangs. But in fact many of Oahu's bikers stress safety, are high skilled in operating a motorcycle and are victims of automobile drivers who don't see the smaller vehicle.

I have written other articles on motorcycle accidents in Hawaii and the statistics are grim this year.

Hawaii Motorcycle Chronicles: Another Death On Friday

Wayne Parsons | June 09, 2009 7:32 PM

Automobile, Motorcycle and Pedestrian Deaths On Oahu Continue to Rise

Wayne Parsons | April 20, 2009 1:53 AM

The facts of this Papipi Road crash are unknown. If you know anything about the incident please report it to the police or leave a comment below. Our best wishes for quick healing to the driver.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Hawaii Highway Chronicles: Are Our Roads The 4th Worst in the Country?

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:27:31 GMT

I just read the report, “Future Mobility in Hawaii: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe and Efficient Mobility,” and it does not bode well for those of us who use Hawaii Highways and rural roads. Hawaii ranks 4th from the bottom because of deteriorating roads and high incidence of fatal accidents on rural roads.

The reports states that 27 percent of Hawaii’s major roads are in bad shape– the fourth highest percentage in the country. Frank Moretti of Tripnet has reported on this in a news report on 9/3/2009 :

Honolulu, Hawaii -- Hawaii’s roads and bridges are becoming increasingly deteriorated and congested and the state’s rural roads have a high-rate of fatal traffic crashes.

In the past decade, the state has used a combination of federal and state funding to improve its surface transportation network, but many sorely needed transportation projects still remain unfunded, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation organization.

The statistics cited by the TRIP report are daunting and should get the attention of the public:

1. Driving on roads in need of repair costs each Hawaii motorist an average of $503 annually -- $431 million state-wide and the third highest in the nation -- in the form of accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear.

2. Forty-three percent of Hawaii’s bridges are deficient or obsolete.

3. Twelve percent of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient.

4. Thirty-one percent of Hawaii's bridges are functionally obsolete.

5. Forty-five percent of Hawaii’s major roads are considered congested.

6. The fatality rate on Hawaii’s rural roads is nearly four times greater than the fatality rate on all other roads in the state.

The Hawaii Highway Users Alliance is an outcome of collaboration between TRIP and the State Department of Transportation. The goal is to develop an objective report that explains how the federal Surface Transportation Program can help Hawaii make our roads and highways safer.

Panos D. Prevedouros, immediate past president of the Hawaii Highway Users Conference states that because Hawaii is below average in pavement quality and traffic congestion that:

“Significant state and local action will be necessary to improve pavement and bridge conditions and address congestion. The Highways Modernization Plan that was held back in the last legislative session is a good tool to address these needs.”

Yes the issue is funding and we all know that money is tight. Between 1998 to 2008, Hawaii received $1.8 billion in federal funding for road, highway and bridge improvements, and $475 million for public transit, a total of $2.3 billion. Forty-four came from federal funds and was used annually by the Hawaii Department of Transportation to pay for road, highway and bridge construction, repairs and maintenance and 14 percent of the revenue used annually to pay for the operation of and capital improvements to the state’s public transit systems. Public transportation is important in lessening congestion and that goes directly to highway safety.

According the the Moretti story the federal stimulus package will help:

This year’s federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides approximately $126 million in stimulus funding for highway and bridge improvements and $44 million for public transit improvements in Hawaii. This funding, however, serves only as a down payment on needed road, highway, bridge and transit improvements and is not sufficient to allow the state to proceed with numerous projects needed to modernize its surface transportation system.

“We will continue to do the best we can with the resources we have,” said Brennon Morioka, Director for the state Department of Transportation. “The ARRA funds allow us to move forward with many projects we would have not been able to otherwise,” Morioka said.

The funding issues are aggravated because of declines in federal surface transportation revenues and increasing costs for transportation construction materials.

The federal transportation program ends on September 30, 2009, and so Congress must enact new legislation or extend the current federal surface transportation program.

“Hawaii has benefited tremendously from the federal surface transportation program,” said Will Wilkins, executive director of TRIP. “While the state has put this combination of federal and state funds to good use in the past, in the coming years, many additional needed projects will remain stranded on the drawing board because of insufficient funding. It is critical that the state adequately fund its transportation system and that Congress produces a timely and adequately funded federal surface transportation program this year. Thousands of jobs and the state’s economy are riding on it.”

Frank Moretti is with TRIP. See more at http://www.tripnet.org/

Take a look at these postings which are part of the ongoing series on interstate and highway safety.

Are Double-Bottomed Semis More or Less Dangerous to You? - Devon Glass from Church Wyble, P.C.(Michigan), August 26, 2009

Who wins and loses when a Ford Focus and a fully-loaded semi-truck crash? - Steve Lombardi from The Lombardi Law Firm (Iowa), August 25, 2009

Hawaii Freeway Chronicles #1: What Are The Danger Points On H-1, H-2 and H-3?, by Wayne Parsons of Wayne Parsons Law Offices. (Hawaii), August 27, 2009

The Interstate Highway Graveyard, “Speed Kills”, Lombardi, August 28, 2009

Why Speeders on the Highway Cause More Serious Accidents, Glass, August 28, 2009

Death and Injury On Interstate Highways Increase With Higher Speed Limits, Wayne Parsons, August 29, 2009 2:31 AM

Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006, Wayne Parsons, August 31, 2009 12:16 AM

Interstate Highways Are No Place For Drunk Drivers Over The Labor Day Weekend Wayne Parsons | September 01, 2009 4:36 PM

Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance: It’s Your Most Important Car Insurance and Here Is Why | Rick Shapiro, September 01, 2009 10:30 AM

Uninsured Drivers: Who Are These People?, Pierce Egerton | September 02, 2009 12:00 PM

Risky Drivers Don't Just Drive Drunk and Speed - They Often Don't have Insurance by Wayne Parsons | September 03, 2009 4:09 PM

Uninsured Drivers On The Highways: Cause of Higher Rates of Injuries & Deaths?

Rick Shapiro | September 07, 2009 1:15 PM

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Hawaii Child Passenger Safety

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:20:56 GMT

Aidon Ng, 5-years-old, is dead today. I sadly wrote about his death in an article yesterday: Was the Death of 5-Year-Old Aidon Ng Due To A Seat-back Failure?

KITV News reports today that:

"[c]ar collisions are the leading cause of death of children over the age of 1, according to national statistics. By properly using child safety devices, these deaths can be reduced by as much as 71 percent for infants under the age of 1 and by 54 percent for toddlers. Awareness is on the rise for road safety and especially for our keiki.

Let's stop here for a moment. Let me repeat what KITV News is saying:

By properly using child safety devices, these deaths can be reduced by as much as 71 percent for infants under the age of 1 and by 54 percent for toddlers.

Aidon Ng is gone. If we had collectively as a community been working at child passenger safety for the past 10 years maybe Aidon would be alive. Well, we cannot go back, but we can start today to commit to child safety in Aidon's memory. His dad and mom are gone. Aidon is gone. His sister lives on. We must all protect this child who now goes on alone at the age of eight.

National Child Passenger Safety Week starts this Saturday on September 12th. Everyone is so worried about their mortgage payment and about reducing stress. What about saving the life of a child like Aidon Ng? Worried about the Swine Flu pandemic - H1N1? Guess who sponsors National Child Passenger Safety Week ? The Center for Disease Control. The CDC! Kids can't buckle up. Some are saying that Aidon Ng was not in a seat harness. Is that true? Whether or not this child was in a protective harness, one thing is certain: he could not protect himself. And I know that it is tempting to ask his parents what they were thinking and h=what they did, but I am past that also. I ask myself what I could have done to protect Aidon Ng. In Hawaii we look at keiki that way.

What can we do? Here is what the CDC suggests:

Seat all children ages 12 and younger in the back seat and be sure they are properly restrained every time they ride with you–even during those quick trips to the corner market. The resources below can help you find more detailed information about proper restraints including rear–facing seats, forward-facing seats, and booster seats.

Read both your car (or booster) seat instruction manual and your vehicle owner’s manual to make sure you are properly installing and using the seat. One study found that 73% of nearly 3,500 observed child restraint systems were misused in a way that could increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash.²

Send in your car seat registration card so that the manufacturer can contact you about any recalls. You can also call the NHTSA Auto Safety Hotline at &@40;888) 327–4236 to find out about recalls.

Replace any car seat that was used during a motor vehicle crash.

Hawaii police know that some keiki will scream like hell about the car seat:

"You may have some kids balking at being in a booster seat but it's the safest way for them to ride," said Honolulu Police Department Capt. Charles Hirata.

"Annually we lose about 1,300 kids around the country to motor vehicle crashes," said Brennon Morioka, with the Department of Transportation.

Captain Hirata wears the prestigious uniform of the police who protect us (and give us tickets!) but he is also a father:

"As a father of three very young kids and my twins are here today … I feel it is my obligation as a parent to do everything within my power to protect my kids and that means putting them in a child safety seat or booster," said Morioka.

It's not only having safety devices but also knowing how to properly use them.

"Some of the most common mistakes parents make are not reading the instruction manual for the seat and for the vehicle," said Hirata.

Captain Hirata also pointed out to KITV News that parents make the mistake of having the seat being too loose and not adjusting the harness straps properly.

A child passenger in Hawaii must be in a child safety seat if they are under the age of 4. Children from 4 to 8 are required to ride in a safety seat or booster seat. Drivers not compliant can be fined up to $500.

In 2008 police across the islands cited 937 parents for child restraint violations.

To get details on free community car seat checks happening across the islands over the next few weeks, visit Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition.

KITV.com should be commended for bringing attention to the dangers faced by child passengers in cars and what the police are doing to prevent injury and death of Hawaii's keiki.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Was the Death of 5-Year-Old Aidon Ng Due To A Seat-back Failure?

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:24:04 GMT

Why do people die in car crashes? Some answers are easy. Some are hidden from view.

I imagine myself tonight with the Ng family in Waimea.

Three family members are dead. My wife died last year. I understand. Let me stop and catch my breath and pay respect. Life goes on.

But I do want to know why Aidon died?

Why did the Chevrolet station wagon, carrying a family of 4, cross the centerline? Police are investigating speed and alcohol. But I suspect more to this tragic story. Only the 8-year old girl in the Chevrolet remains alive. I am wondering if a defective front seat mechanism caused the death of Aidon Ng.

Police said the Chevrolet driven by a 32-year-old Waimea man crossed the center line and collided head on with the Mercury SUV driven by a 47-year-old Keaau man.

When police arrived at 11:54 p.m., one person in critical condition was in the roadway. The Waimea man and a 30-year-old Waimea woman were pinned in the station wagon and their two children, a 5-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, were in the back seat.

Rescuers used the Jaws of Life to remove the victims from the vehicle.

The Waimea man and woman and the boy who were in the Chevrolet station wagon died at the North Hawaii Community Hospital.

Why did Aidon Ng die? Was it a defective seat anchor? Yes, he was a passenger in the rear seat of the Chevrolet that crossed the centerline. But why did he die? Was it the collision or was Aidon surviving the collision when the front seat broke lose from its anchors and crash into Aidon killing him. Kids are vulnerable. I'll bet they thought he was going to be safe in the rear seat. For most American auto makers the rear seat is dangerous for kids.

The Honolulu Star Bulletin reports the death of Suzanne Ng, 30-years-old, and her son Aidon Ng, 5-years-old, in a crash in Waimea on the the Big Island that is being investigated for alcohol and speed. The head-on crash was just before midnight on Saturday. Suzanne and Aidon were riding in a station wagon that crossed the center line on Mamalahoa Highway and smashed into an on-coming vehicle driven by a Keaau man near Mana Road in Waimea.

Both Suzanne Ng and the driver of the station wagon died in the crash, as did 5-year-old Aidon. Another child in the station wagon, an 8-year-old girl, also in the backseat with Aidon, was in critical condition last night.

Suzanne Ng was in the passenger seat and Aidon was in the back seat. Both lived in Waimea. The identity of the driver, a 32-year-old man, was being withheld pending positive identification.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 1999 Mercury multi-purpose vehicle, was flown in guarded condition to the Queen’s Medical Center.

Would seat belts have saved lives? Suzanne Ng and the 8-year-old girl riding in the back seat, and the driver of the other vehicle were wearing their seat belts. The driver of the station wagon and Aidon were not wearing seat belts.

Any time a child is killed in the back seat of a car the question is whether the front seats broke their hinges and crashed into the kids in the rear seats. This is a major engineering issue and a prime example of defective products. Most car manufacturers build defective seats in cars and children like Aidon and the 8-year-old girl die in a collision. Parents put their kids in the back seat for safety. In a collision like in Waimea on Saturday at midnight, if the front seat fails it crashes into the child in the back and often that is the cause of death. Mom did the right thing. She put her child in the rear seat. The automobile manufacturer did the wrong thing. They made a car with a seat that they knew would kill Aidon Ng.

Is that what happened in Waimea on Mamalahoa Highway near Kana Road? I'd like to know. The research is readily available. We can prove it from the crash data.

I know. The station wagon with Suzanne and Aidon and the 8-year-old girl crossed the center line. The driver is dead. Suzanne is dead. What happened? On Aidon and the 8-year-old girl I hope someone investigates the seats in their car.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call Big Island Officer Marvin Troutman at (808) 326-4646, extension 229.

My sincere condolences go out to the families.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Interstate Highways Are No Place For Drunk Drivers Over The Labor Day Weekend

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:36:20 GMT

As the Labor day weekend approaches police across the nation are cracking down on drunk driving. Those of us who see the tragic results of dangerous driving behavior support the police and hope that our phones ring silent next week. That's why 5 of us (Steve Lombardi, Devon Glass, Michael Bryant, Steve Lombardi and Rick Shapiro), all members of Injury Board, are writing about highway safety this month _ focusing on the interstate highway system. So today I write about alcohol and the intoxicated user of the interstate highways from Hawaii to Virginia. Our families, like yours, will be on the highways and roads this weekend and we pray that they all come home safe.

The question posed by Steve Lombardi about a death and injury collisions on an interstate highway makes a good point. Who wins and loses when a Ford Focus and a fully-loaded semi-truck crash? - Steve Lombardi from The Lombardi Law Firm (Iowa), August 25, 2009

Let me add some fuel to the discussion by asking how many of the drivers of the Ford Focus or the truck are drunk at any given moment on our interstate highways? That grandmother that, like Mr. Lombardi, likes to push 70 mph on the interstate is a lot safer than the college kid or Realtor in the Ford Focus who is going 45 mph with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.17. In fact there is no comparison. The statistics are remarkable. Forty percent (40%) _ let me pause and catch my breath _ of car crash deaths in Hawaii involve drunk drivers. Forty percent (40%) of the fatal automobile accidents in Hawaii are alcohol related. I wrote on this subject on Monday: Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006

But where are the accidents happening? Are they more frequent on interstate highways across the country? I wonder what Devon Glass from Church Wyble, P.C. and Steve Lombardi from The Lombardi Law Firm and Mike Bryant see in the highway injury and death statistics in Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota. Mike was recently installed as the president of the Minnesota Association of Justice and is a nationally recognized expert in accident and injury prevention. Or what does Rick Shapiro see on Highways in Virginia or Washington D.C.? Let's look at an interesting data source that puts geography - accident location - into the drunk driving car crashes that happen on or highways. Check out DUIMap.org:

RiskyRoads.org Maps Fatal Accident Hot Spots

Find out if you live or work near a Drunk Driving or Fatal Accident Hot Spot

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 3, 2009 -- Today, MapLarge.com released a set of online mapping tools that anyone can use to view the most fatal and stressed roads in our nation's transportation infrastructure. The Risky Roads map shows the areas with the most traffic fatalities and the DUI Map shows the areas with the most DUI related traffic fatalities.

Map of DUI Accidents

Florida and Georgia Road Maps show the enormous amount of traffic increases on our roads. Many highways and roads have more than doubled the amount of traffic they carry in the last six years.

Risky Roads

Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, RiskyRoads.org maps the concentration of fatal accidents that occur within 1000 feet of one another. The result is a heat map that emphasizes the country's worst hot spots for traffic fatalities.

State DUI Maps
DUIMap.org is a heat map showing concentrations of fatal DUI accidents. Clusters of DUI fatalities highlight the most dangerous areas where drunk driving accidents occur.

Risky Roads reminds us of a chilling statistic from the Center For Disease Control (CDC):

According to the CDC, 36 people die every day due to drunk drivers. The national annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion.

I blinked at the fact that the CDC has the word "disease" in its name and we were talking about car crashes and truck collisions. But then I realized that people cause the death and injury and that alcoholism is a disease.

So let's look at DUI related car deaths in Honolulu via DUIMap.org and Risky Roads:

This heat map displays concentrations of fatal Drunk Driving traffic accidents in Hawaii. Clusters of DUI fatalities highlight the most dangerous areas where drunk driving accidents occur. Each icon on the map represents the location of a DUI motor vehicle crash that resulted in a fatality. The color of the icon represents the number of additional DUI motor vehicle crashes within 1 mile. Click on each icon to see the date and time of the accident.

In DUIMaps you can zome in to see the street and exact locations. As you can see, all three of Hawaii's interstate highways are on this map and we have a number of death cases involving alcohol on the H-1. You can also see this map in a satellite photo with just one click:

Drilling down to see an area of particular interest gets me back to my article on the 55 mph speed limit in Hawaii. I have written two recent articles on the subject of speed and interstate highways:

Hawaii Freeway Chronicles #1: What Are The Danger Points On H-1, H-2 and H-3?, by Wayne Parsons of Wayne Parsons Law Offices. (Hawaii), August 27, 2009, and Death and Injury On Interstate Highways Increase With Higher Speed Limits, Wayne Parsons, August 29, 2009 2:31 AM. In the latter I talked about the 45 mph speed limit in a section on the H-1 going through McCully and about the road rage that we experience from drivers who hate to have to slow down. As I look at the accident map below from DUIMap.org it seems that there are no DUI deaths in that section for the time period covered by the map.

So what is it? Does the lower speed limit save lives? Or is an interstate highway inherently safer because it has one way traffic, regulated interchanges with safe on ramps and off ramps and several lanes of travel? What do you think? I'd like to hear from Lombardi, Glass, Bryant and Shapiro on this subject. And from the outside it would be great to hear the voice of transportation engineers and MADD who really are the ones fighting for safer street and interstate highways.

Devon Glass has written on the subject of interstate highway safety and his articles are worth a careful read:

Are Double-Bottomed Semis More or Less Dangerous to You? - Devon Glass from Church Wyble, P.C. (Michigan), August 26, 2009;

In the latter article Devon points to engineering reasons for his article title. Why does speed matter?

· It increases the distance a vehicle travels from the time a driver detects an emergency to the time a driver reacts.

· It increases the distance needed to stop a vehicle once an emergency is perceived.

· It increases the “crash energy” by the square of speeds—when an impact speed increases from 40 to 60 mph, the energy that needs to be managed increases by 125%. In other words, the crash impact is going to be astronomically greater than if you were going at a slower speed.

Add slower reaction times, blurred vision and fatigue caused by alcohol and the situation deteriorates rapidly. A half a second slower to hit the brakes means the car crash is significantly higher impact.

I am interested in the view from the satellite in Lansing and Des Moines and St. Cloud.

When it comes to highway safety on the interstate highway system, one thing is for sure: drinking and driving don't mix. If you drink, stay off the interstate be it the H-1 or I-95.

Why Speeders on the Highway Cause More Serious Accidents, Glass, August 28, 2009

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Criminal Charges In Waimanalo Car Crash: Teenager In Critical Condition

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:27:00 GMT

A KITV News story reports that criminal charges face the driver of a car that crashed in Waimanalo early Sunday morning ejecting a young passenger. The teenager is in critical condition. Police said the driver faces criminal charges.

Traffic investigators said the crash happened just after 1 a.m. on Hihimanu Street in Waimanalo.

Police said the driver may appeared to be speeding when she lost control hitting a telephone pole and a tree. The 16-year-old backseat passenger was ejected from the car. He was taken to the Queens Medical Center in critical condition. The driver, a 16-year-old female and a front seat passenger were transported in good condition.

Police said the teenagers were not wearing seat belts and alcohol appears to be a factor.Copyright 2009 by KITV.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:16:00 GMT

Alcohol Alert, a company that sells prevention devices to reduce drunk driving, and drunk driving injury and death report on Hawaii Drunk Driving Statistics:

In Hawaii, the alcohol related deaths have declined by over 50% since 1982, from a high that same year of 103, to a low of 44 in 1999. Recent years, however, have shown a moderate increase. The percentage of drunk driving deaths of the total traffic fatalities has shown a steady decline from a high in 1983 of 67%. In 2006, out of all traffic fatalities, 40% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher.

All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The first (and original) offense is known either as driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI), or operating while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). This is based upon a police officer's observations (driving behavior, slurred speech, the results of a roadside sobriety test, etc.)

The second offense is called "illegal per se", which is driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher.

In Hawaii, 1st , 2nd and 3rd offenses are petty misdemeanors, 4th or subsequent offense is a class C felony. Citation:Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §§ 291E-61, 701-107(5) & 706-660.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Heart Attack Slide Show

Wayne Parsons — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:44:25 GMT

Its Saturday and I am thinking about which of my weekend chores to take on first. Then I started thinking about people out in their yards and around the house doing the weekend chores and the fact that some will die of a heart attack today came to mind. Sorry, but I have spent 30 years representing people who get hurt or are sick and I have seen too many situations where a person died who didn't need to die.

Injury and death prevention is important to the entire family at Injury Board. Here in Honolulu it is 7:45 AM. I hope someone will watch the slide show I have put here and avoid a tragedy.

HEART ATTACK SLIDE SHOW WORTH 45 SECONDS OF YOUR LIFE - NOT A JOKE!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons