Grim trend develops in Y-S fatal accidents

And yet, he said, people are still making the decision to drink and drive, get into the car with a driver who has been drinking, or to not wear a seat belt. That has made the first four months of 2017 on pace to surpass previous years for fatal car accidents.

So far this year, there have been 10 fatal collisions in YubaSutter, resulting in 11 deaths. At this time last year, Harris said, there were three fatal accidents with three deaths. For all of 2016, there were a total of 16 deaths from car accidents.

“It is only the end of April, and we are on track to surpass all of our previous years,” Harris said in an email Wednesday.

Here are some thoughts from

Harris on the fatality rate:

Of the 11 deaths so far this year, four were caused by drunken drivers. There were also two hit-and-runs but Harris said the drivers’ sobriety at the time of the collision is unknown. This time last year, he said, there were two fatalities caused by drunk drivers.

What also seems to be surprising to law enforcement is the age of drunken drivers: This year, the drivers’ ages have been 54, 25, and 33; last year, the ages were 51, 26, 53, 26, and 48.

“The only consistent trend is that our younger drivers seem to be getting the message, but our older drivers have forgotten,” Harris said.

Harris remembers an especially emotional car accident in February on Highway 70 where the driver had been drinking, rolled the car, and the passenger was ejected and killed.

“The driver was drinking, (the passenger) chooses to not wear a seat belt, and now the father of three children is gone,” Harris said.

All four victims of the this year’s drunk driving fatalities were not wear-

ing seat belts. In 2016, all four of the DUI fatality victims wore seat belts (one was a motorcyclist).

“Drink, go out and have a good time, do it responsibly, have a (designated driver), or just call a cab,” Harris said. “Work a $20 cab ride into your budget for the evening.”

He said there doesn’t seem to be a “hot spot.” Drunks are taking all roads and can be found driving at any time of day or night. Harris said the department has also seen a rise in driving under the influence of prescription drugs or marijuana.

“There’s no more ‘ careful driving after 2 a.m.,’” Harris said, as impaired drivers are hitting the road any time of the day.

Distracted driving is another cause for concern for CHP. It can cause serious accidents, and can also affect a drivers’ ability to react to another car driving dangerously.

“You can be a victim as much as a perpetrator,” Harris said. “We would like to remind the public that driving is multitasking in and of itself. Please slow down, stay sober, don’t get into a car with a driver that has been drinking/doing drugs, and pay attention to your driving and those around you. Nobody is invincible.”