DCSO: Avoid The Law of Unintended Consequences

12/30/17 – The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office Law of the Month for December is especially relevant as New Year’s approaches. The Law of the Month is the Law of Unintended Consequences. While not an actual state statute, sheriff’s officials say the Law of Unintended Consequences starts simply enough with a couple of drinks with friends that turns into a car accident that may or may not be your fault. If it was not your fault, it can be inconvenient and costly. If the crash is your fault, officials warn that you will then be facing civil or criminal liabilities. The Law of Unintended Consequences applies to more than just alcohol consumption. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says it also happens when your running late for work, or an appointment, and you begin to speed. It also happens when your busy and try to make up time by placing phone calls or texting while driving. Authorities ask motorists to: drive the speed limit; avoid driving impaired; avoid distracted driving; and stop completely at all stop signs and signals. Local authorities kicked off a Crash Reduction Initiative last month in response to a spike in traffic fatalities in 2017 that is intended as a long-term, problem-solving effort to address the root cause of many crashes. While emergency officials have implemented crash reduction strategies, there are contributing factors that can only be controlled by each individual driver.  Officials say no one decides to go out and get in a crash, yet crashes occur multiple times a day in Dodge County, which is where the Law of Unintended Consequences comes in. The sheriff’s office has a goal of a 25-50-percent reduction in fatal crashes in the year 2018.