Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
After a recent pedestrian-vehicle accident in Oakland Park, a teen driver has been charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident and having no driver’s license. His bond was set at nearly $18,000, according to CBS Miami. Here’s the catch: It was a hit-and-run accident. The teenage driver said he thought he hit a dog and not a person.
Accident reports reveal that the young driver was driving a four-door sedan when he slammed into a 75-year-old pedestrian at the corner of 15th Terrace and NE 45th Street in Oakland Park. According to Broward County Sheriffs, there were no skid marks on the road indicating that the driver never hit the brakes. During the teen’s hearing, the Judge told the young driver than even someone who slammed into a dog would have stopped and gotten out of the car. Detectives who were working on the accident caught the lead when they got a report from someone who reported an Altima with front-end damage just blocks from the accident scene.
Our Oakland Park accident attorneys have been talking about the risks that teenage drivers are facing on our roadways with the summer season. We’re pleading with parents and guardians to step up and to have the conversation about safe driving habits with the teen driver in their lives. It’s important to talk with these young drivers about the risks and the consequences that are associated with dangerous and irresponsible driving habits. Car accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for teens across the county. Keeping safe driving habits as a frequent topic of consideration in your household can help to decrease their risks for an accident.
To help to kick off the conversation, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) is here to offer a few simple driving tips for the teen driver in your life:
-Always wear a seat belt. Seat belts decrease your chance of death in the event of an accident.
-Avoid driving with children or teens in the front passenger seat. These individuals increase the risks for accidents among teen drivers.
-Make sure the vehicle’s tires are in good condition and are always properly inflated.
-Keep the vehicle’s windshield clean to increase visibility on our roadways.
-Keep an eye on your gas tank. Never ride with less than a quarter-tank full.
-Never drink and drive and never get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.
-Use your headlights during daytime driving, too.
-Figure out where you’re going and the direction on how to get there before you head out onto our roadways.
-Curb all of the distractions. Keep your eyes and mind on the road.
-Always obey speed limits and posted street signs.
-Use turn signals whenever making a move in traffic.
-Keep an eye out for vulnerable travelers, like bicyclists and pedestrians.
-Put down the cell phone, the text message device and other electronics while driving.
-Adjust your driving to road and weather conditions.
If you or the teen driver in your life has been involved in an auto accident in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in Broward County, contact the Broward personal injury lawyers at Freeman & Mallard are here to help you to understand your rights. We are for you and are ready to fight for the compensation that you deserve. Call today to set up a free and confidential review of your case, 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
NHTSA Campaign Fighting Car Accidents in Tamarac and Elsewhere, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, April 27, 2012
Car Accidents in Fort Lauderdale and Elsewhere Targeted by Prom Patrol!, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, April 20, 2012