Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Our Delray Beach car accident attorneys want to remind motorists to give other drivers a break as we head into the busiest travel and snowbird months of the year. By driving safely we can help ensure everyone enjoys the holiday and starts the new year off on the right foot.
Car accidents in Margate, Plantation, Pembroke Pines and elsewhere in South Florida are commonly caused by a driver speeding, driving under the influence, becoming distracted or driving aggressively. Motorists who keep these unsafe behaviors in check can make a difference in keeping traffic-related deaths and injuries to a minimum.
Guardrails were recently mounted along State Road 80 to help keep motorists from veering off the side of the road and drowning. Several deaths have occurred because a driver was driving too fast for the road conditions, became distracted or was driving under the influence and lost control of the vehicle headed right for the canal. The Palm Beach Post News reports traffic fatalities were down for our area in 2010 when compared to 2009. Palm Beach County reported 123 traffic deaths in 2010 compared to 151 in 2009.
Florida Highway Patrol officials are guardedly optimistic about the number of deaths on roadways because the numbers for 2011 are keeping pace with last year. Palm Beach County has recorded 94 deaths as of October 4, up four from last year at this time. Much of the blame is still directed to the fact that Florida still doesn’t have laws prohibiting texting or talking on mobile devices while operating a vehicle.
Let’s consider the leading contributing causes for crash fatalities in 2010 throughout the state. According to Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles crash statistics report, careless driving caused a total of 332 deaths or more than 18 percent of traffic fatalities in 2010. Drunk drivers caused almost 15 percent of traffic deaths on Florida roadways last year. In total, 389 people were killed by a motorist driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both at the time of the accident. Speed-related accidents were a contributing cause in almost 12 percent of traffic fatalities in 2010.
Driver distraction is noted to have caused only seven deaths in Florida in 2010 but the reality is that law enforcement rarely reports when driver inattention causes an accident. Failure to report this factor in most accidents leads to the misconception that distractions aren’t a contributing factor in fatal crashes. We all know how distractions make us lose our focus on driving and lead to more close calls than we care to admit.
Make a commitment to drive distraction-free, follow speed limits, never drink and drive, and drive defensively to help make it safer for everyone over the holidays and the following months.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Margate, Deerfield Beach, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach or the surrounding areas, you should be advised of your rights. Contact Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney. Call 1-800-561-7777 today.
Additional Resources:
Fewer dying in traffic accidents on Palm Beach County roads, by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post News.
More Blog Entries:
Few Drivers, Fewer Car Accidents in Weston, elsewhere, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, October 14, 2011.