Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Our West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys have been reporting about high traffic season in Florida and the dangers involving certain behaviors like drunk driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and speeding.
We continue our series with the next topic, teen drivers’ safety during high traffic season. With spring break, proms and graduations just around the corner, young drivers will be out on the roadways more frequently and during later hours.
Car accidents in Fort Lauderdale typically increase this time of year due to the high volume of motor vehicles on the roadways. Factors leading to these crashes frequently involve poor driving decisions. Teen drivers are typically most at risk because of their inexperience.
In 2009, Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported that 18 year-old drivers had the highest crash rate involvement in all crashes at 490.46 deaths.
The age reporting the highest rate of fatal crashes was 17 year-olds which reported a rate of 4.08 per 10,000 licensed drivers.
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer for young driver’s ages 15-20 years old. In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported almost 2,800 deaths and another 228,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes for this age group. There are more deaths in this age group from this cause than if you were to combine the total death tolls of cancer, homicide and suicide.
Florida, in 2008, reported 195 young driver fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. There were another 259 people (passengers or occupants of other vehicles) killed in crashes involving young drivers.
According to the 2009 Florida Traffic Crashes Statistics reported by FHSMV, there were 80 teen drivers and 73 teen passengers killed in a total of 29,485 crashes in the state for that year. The frequency of crashes is definitely proven higher this time of year with March recording the most crashes in 2009 at 21,599.
Saturday night at 9 p.m. through Sunday morning at 2 a.m. was the most critical time period for fatal crashes in Florida for 2009.
The excitement of prom and graduation can be hard to contain but teen drivers are reminded to drive responsibly. Most importantly, don’t drink and drive. Causing a car accident in West Palm Beach while drinking and driving under-age could change your life and the life of another forever.
The trial attorneys at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez fight aggressively for the rights of their victims suffering from personal injury. If you or a loved one have been in an accident, call today to set up a free and confidential appointment in West Palm Beach, Margate, Hollywood, Miami, or Port St. Lucie. Call toll free at 1-800-529-2368.