Articles Posted in Car Accident

According to The Palm Beach Post, the number of teen car accidents in Weston and elsewhere could be reduced if state lawmakers beefed up their teen driving laws by taking steps to reinforce Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) program.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently released a report that compared the teen driving laws in all 50 states. The report states that Florida would see a near 50 percent reduction in fatal accidents among drivers aged 15- to 17-years-old if it were to enact just a few stronger rules on its young drivers, like instituting a teen passenger restriction or raising the age to get a learner’s permit.

“If every state adopted all five components of the toughest young driver laws in the nation, more than 500 lives could be saved and more than 9,500 collisions could be prevented each year,” claims the IIHS report.

Our Weston car accident lawyers understand that there are five components to comprehensive teen driving laws. These five issues can help to reduce the risks of accidents and they include, teen passenger restrictions, nighttime driving hours, licensing age, supervised driving hours and permit age. The IIHS says that the best time to allow a driver with an intermediate license in the age of 17, which doesn’t happen in here of Florida. Drivers in our state can get a learner’s permit at 15, an operational license at 16 and then an unrestricted license at 18.

“States could see immediate reductions in fatal crashes and collision claims as soon as the beefed-up provisions are in force,” says Anne McCartt with the IIHS.

Teens throughout the country are required to complete various versions of the Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) program before they can hit the road without any specialized laws. Through the GDL program, teen drivers learn valuable skills through a variety of stages with different sets of rules, exposing them to driving techniques a few at a time. When their program is completed, they’re set out on the road to abide by the same road laws as you and I.

Back in the 90s, states started to pass GDL laws. By the end of 2000, all but nine states had various GDL laws. Unfortunately, these laws and regulations vary from state to state because there is still no nationwide GDL program.

Back in 2000, the IIHS started looking at states and their GDL programs and started rating their regulations and their effectiveness. Back then, there were only six states that pulled good rankings. Nine returned poor ratings.

In 2010, there were 80 teen drivers killed in car accidents across the state. That’s a zero percent change from the year before, suggesting that state lawmakers need to beef up their laws and enforcement of them to help keep our young drivers safe.
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Our Parkland car accident attorneys have talked before about connected vehicle technology and its abilities to help to reduce accidents on roadways across the nation. Well, this technology has taken the next step in its development. The Research and Innovation Technology Administration (RITA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have been working alongside automakers to research this kind of technology, which allows vehicles to “talk” to one another through Wi-Fi.

Now, the technology is being tested and those who have used it are giving it the thumbs up! Most drivers are saying that they feel the benefits of the technology and support its use, saying it has what it takes to help to make our roadways safer for everyone.

With the “vehicle-to-vehicle” technology, our cars may be able to talk to one another to help to avoid an accident in Parkland and elsewhere. The new in-car technology, currently in its research stages, was recently tested by nearly 700 drivers through six clinics throughout the country. Researchers collected feedback from the clinic participants and determined that an overwhelming majority of the participants would like to use the technology in their own cars. Nearly everyone reports that they felt that the technology has the potential to help make our roadways safer for everyone.

The clinics were designed to see how drivers would interact with the systems and to see if there were any glitches that needed to be worked out. About 80 percent of drivers said that they strongly agreed with the features and would like it in their vehicles. About 90 percent said that they feel that it would improve driving conditions in the real world, including helping to reduce the risks of forward collisions, helping to alert drivers about cars approaching an intersection and helping to notify drivers of other cars changing lanes or moving into the blind spots.

The organizations and automakers will be launching a second phase of research this summer. In this phase, there will be about 3,000 vehicles that are equipped with these various crash-avoidance technologies. These cars will be let loose in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In these vehicles, the systems will also be able to communicate with the roadway and with other cars equipped with the system, keeping vehicles where they need to be and out of accidents.

Vehicle manufacturers working with the USDOT to perfect this technology:

-Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

-Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

-Nissan Technical Center North America.

-Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America, Inc.

-Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, Inc.

-Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

-General Motors LLC.

-Ford Motor Company

Next, the NHTSA will determine by 2013 if they’ll be proceeding on with the project and will conduct more technology development, research and activities.
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A West Palm Beach car accident landed a 48-year-old driver behind bars for nearly 23 years. The judge determined that it was the man’s road rage than contributed to the death of a 30-year-old woman involved in the accident.

The man was found guilty of charges of reckless driving, leaving the scene of a fatal crash and vehicular homicide, according to News12.

According to accident reports, it all happened when the male driver became enraged after the female accidentally pulled in front of his car. The man drove back into the female’s lane and forced her into oncoming traffic where she ran head on into an oncoming car and was killed. Another motorist followed the man’s car, took down his license plate and reported him to authorities.

Our West Palm Beach car accident attorneys understand how prevalent aggressive driving and road rage are on our roadways. According to RoadRagers.com, there are a lot of drivers who get angry behind the wheel, a little more than you may think. This type of behavior can be found on some of our roads, too. Enraged drivers are common during the tourist season and the summer travel season. Roads get awfully crowded and congested and the backup doesn’t make many happy. That’s when it gets dangerous.

Of more than 11,000 people surveyed on RoadRagers.com, nearly 60 percent revealed road rage characteristics.

Statistically speaking, young men are more prone to displaying road rage characteristics behind the wheel. Exactly why this is has yet to be determined. Some say that it’s a predisposition to aggression, others say it could be the result of lack of experience and others say it could be as simple as the fact that young men tend to drive more than older drivers. Either way, male drivers under the age of 19 most commonly display road rage characteristics on our roadways.

Nearly 60 percent of men say that they experience road rage on a daily basis while less than 45 percent of women say this. More men also admitted to retaliating against others when they felt angry or provoked on our roadways.

What is road rage?

-Road rage is a display of aggression by a driver, most commonly including physical assault or other dangerous maneuvers, in which harm or injury is the desired result.

-According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), road rage “involves a criminal act of violence, whereas aggressive driving can range from tailgating to speeding to running red lights.”

-Across the country, up to 1,200 road rage-related deaths a year have been reported as a result of road rage. Experts believe that number is much higher.

-Although more than 60 percent of drivers say that they’ve been victimized by aggressive tailgaters, only 6 percent admitted to doing it themselves. Road rage is not widely recognized in drivers’ own habits.
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If you haven’t created the habit of buckling your seat belt every time you get into the car, officials in the area suggest you start now. Local and state law enforcement officers will be on the hunt for you if you don’t.

Officials in Port St. Lucie and the surrounding areas will be working hard during this year’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign to help to keep drivers safe on our roadways. Nationwide, nearly 90 percent of drivers say they wear their seat belt. It’s that last 10 percent that’s at some serious risks for fatal car accidents in Port. St. Lucie and elsewhere.

“Between seatbelts and basic traffic education we do out here, it’s helped considerably,” said Port. St. Lucie Motor Officer Terry Russell.

Our Port St. Lucie car accident attorneys understand that officers throughout the state will be combing our roadways in search of irresponsible drivers — including those who aren’t buckled in. It’s all a part of this year’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign. Officers are looking to make our roadways as safe as possible during the launch of the summer travel season. This year’s campaign will be going on from now through the 3rd of June.

Officers in Port St. Lucie will be on the hunt for drivers who aren’t buckled up. When one is spotted in an enforcement trap, an officer will call down a few hundred yards to another officer and alert them. During the first half day of the campaign, officers in the city already snagged nearly 100 drivers. Officers though say that this isn’t just about writing tickets, according to News Channel 5.

According to Florida’s law, everyone who is under the age of 18-years-old needs to be wearing a seat belt regardless of which seat they’re sitting it. All drivers and those who are sitting in the front seat are also required to buckle up.

This campaign has been launched to get drivers into good habits before everyone hits the road for the summer travel season. In 2001, there were nearly 700 million long distance summer trips taken during the 16-weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The average summer trip is nearly 300 miles away from motorists’ homes. One out of every 20 of these trips is more than 1,000 miles. About 90 percent of these trips are taken in personal vehicles. Half of these trips take place on Saturday and Sunday, causing seriously high risks for accidents on our roadways during the weekend. Drivers who are taking longer trips typically begin their ventures on Friday.

Regardless of where you’re going or how long you’re going for, it’s important that you plan ahead before heading out. Be sure that you know where you’re going, that you leave with plenty of time to spare, that you’ve mapped out your trip before getting on the road and that you keep your attention on the task at hand — arriving safely. Safe and responsible driving habits can help to turn your summer vacation into a safe one.
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The National Safety Council (NSC) is concluding that we’ve already seen a near 12 percent increase in the number of fatal car accidents in Vero Beach and elsewhere during the first three months of this year in comparison to the same numbers at this time in 2011.

In 2011, there were about 7,300 traffic accident fatalities through January to March. During the same time this year, we’ve already seen nearly 8,200. The increase worries officials but they’re working diligently to pinpoint the cause.
Some point to the total of vehicle miles driven for the increase. Drivers in our country have contributed to quite an increase in the number of miles driven since December of 2011. Another reason, experts believe, may be the improving economy. As our economy continues to recover, drivers feel a little more comfortable spending at the pump and hitting the open road.

Our Vero Beach car accident attorneys understand that the increase in accident fatalities predicts what we have to look forward to the rest of the year. Unfortunately, that’s not good news. Luckily, it’s not too late to help to reduce these risks. Drivers are asked to be cautious behind the wheel and to plan ahead before heading out on summer road trips to help to make travel as safe as possible.

Lastly, researchers believe that the three-month increase that’s already been recorded this year just might be a product of the mild winter season we saw. With less weather chaos, drivers may have felt more comfortable hitting the road to their winter destinations. As with all travel, an increase results in increased risks for accidents.

“The Council will be keeping a close eye on our monthly traffic fatality estimates to discern if this increase is just a temporary blip,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the NSC.

These accidents are tough. Not only do they take our loved ones from us, but they’re quite costly too! Fatal car accidents account for a significant cost in medical expenses, lost wages and productivity, employer costs, administrative expenses and property damage. In 2011, just injuries and damaged property resulted in about $260 billion.

Safe Driving Tips from the NSC to help to reverse the current trend:

-Always wear a seat belt.

-Never drive under the influence of alcohol of drugs.

-Keep your focus on the road and avoid engaging in distractions.

-Practice defensive driving habits.

-Avoid aggressive driving. Stay calm at the wheel.

-Leave early for your destination to avoid speeding.

-Make sure your vehicle is in good working order before you set out.

-Keep your gas tank at least half full.

-Be cautious when driving during evening hours.

-Avoid driving at night. Be careful if you must.

-Figure out directions before heading out.
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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.
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Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys have been talking recently about the risks that teens are facing on our roadways. During this time of the year, the summer months, teens face the highest risks for car accidents. They’ll be enjoying a break away from school and will be hitting our roads in full force. The month of May is actually one of the deadliest times on our roadways for these young motorists.

Car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere continue to be the number one killer for teens across the United States. According to a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, parents can help to reduce these risks for their teen by regulating the number of passengers that are allowed in their teen’s vehicle. The recent study, “Teen Driver Risk in Relation to Age and Number of Passengers,” concluded that the presence of young passengers increases a teen driver’s risk for an accident. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teen drivers in the state of Florida have no passenger restrictions. The AAA study revealed that states with strict graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) programs typically see fewer car accidents among these young drivers than states with more relaxed laws. That’s where parents come in. We’re asking for parents to step in and to create and enforce their own passenger restrictions to help to keep our roadways safe.

The study looked at drivers that were both 16- and 17-years-old. When there was one passenger present who was under the age of 21-years-old, the risks for accidents increased by nearly 45 percent. When there were two young passengers present, the risks for accidents doubled. When there were three or more of these young passengers, risks for an accident quadrupled.

On the other hand, teen drivers who had a passenger present who was over the age of 34-years-old, saw risks for a fatal accident decrease by more than 60 percent and their risks for police-reported accident decrease by nearly 50 percent. This illustrates why it’s so important to ride along with your teen and to ride along with them often. Riding with them during their first few years behind the wheel helps them to create safe, responsible and lifelong driving habits. What these drivers do behind the wheel during their first few years with a license will largely determine their driving habits for the rest of their lives. Let’s work together to make these lifelong habits safe and responsible ones!

“These findings should send a clear message to families that parents can make their teens safer,” said President and CEO of AAA, Peter Kissinger.

Parents are urged to talk with their teen driver before the summer gets into full swing. Talk to your teen driver about the risks and the consequences that are associated with dangerous and irresponsible driving habits behind the wheel.
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There’s an unsafe driving habit that’s catching the eye of safe driving advocates nationwide. It’s not what dangerous maneuvers drivers are doing behind the wheel, but it’s what they’re not doing.

According to MSNBC, a recent study was released that concluded that about 2 million car accidents in Wellington and elsewhere a year are caused by drivers’ neglect to use a turn signal. According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), drivers fail to use a blinker when changing lanes at least 48 percent of the time. They also fail to use their blinker when making turns at least 25 percent of the time. That means that drivers fail to use their turn signal nearly 800 billion times every year.

Laziness? Poor training? A lack of courtesy? Who knows why drivers fail to signal, but the truth of it is that this neglect is very dangerous and leads to about 2 million accidents every year. That’s roughly double the amount of accidents caused by distracted driving, according to Ray LaHood, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

Our Wellington car accident attorneys understand that many drivers overlook the importance of a blinker. Honestly, drivers need to make their maneuvers in traffic as predictable as possible and a blinker may be one of the most effective ways to do that. Drivers are required to use a blinker just as they’re required to follow other road laws on the books. Experts believe that drivers may be neglecting their blinkers because it’s not a top priority of enforcement for police officers and not many drivers are reprimanded for failing to use a turn signal. Safe driving advocates suggest that law enforcement officials start targeting this dangerous behavior as a way of improving compliance.

“This is a first of its kind report on a subject that amazingly, has never been studied,” said Richard Ponziani, P.E., President of RLP Engineering.

Another suggestion that experts have to help get drivers back into the habit of using turn signals is the “Smart Turn Signal.”

Researchers say that this system would be the perfect supplement to the Stability Control System. They say that this system would work much like an in-car seat belt warning. Ponziani says that the device would alert drivers if their blinker has been on for an extended amount of time. This would work when a driver has their blinker on and has not made a turn. Blinkers are already self-canceling after making turns, this would help to shut them off long after a turn has been made or is not anticipated. The system would also be able to warn drivers who aren’t using the turn signal when needed. A bell and a light in the vehicle would instruct drivers that they need to start using their signals. This technology is believed to be able to help prevent thousands of multi-car accidents every year.
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Cinco de Mayo is a popular holiday here in South Florida and if you’ve been here in the past you know this big day can get wild. It’s a big day and a big night out for residents in the area, especially for young adults. During this time of the year we need to focus on preventing alcohol-related car accidents in Davie and elsewhere.

Many party goers may think Cinco de Mayo is a time to pass around the tequila, and for many it is, but it’s also an important time to focus on safe and responsible driving. For that reason, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and our Davie accident lawyers are working to help all residents and South Florida visitors to plan for a safe holiday.

MADD is offering you with a few safety tips to help you stay out of a drunk driving car accident. Review the following and share these tips with friends and family members to help make this the safest Cinco de Mayo yet!

If you’re planning on drinking during Cinco de Mayo:

-Make sure you designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. This isn’t something that should be planned once you’re already out. Decide before leaving your home.

-Make sure you have something in your stomach before you start your festivities. Try enjoying you favorite Mexican foods to get in the mood and to help to keep yourself from over drinking.

-If you find yourself without a sober driver, call a friend or a family member to come pick you up.

-If you can’t get a hold of anyone to come get you, call a cab, take the bus, stay at a friend’s house or get a hotel room. If you’ve been drinking, you should never get behind the wheel. Find your alternatives!

-If someone you know or love has been drinking and is reaching for their keys, intervene. You don’t want to let anyone you know get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Do your job to help save lives, step in and speak up.

If you think you spot a drunk driver on our roadways:

-Stay away from the vehicle. You don’t want to jeopardize your own safety.

-Try to jot down the license plate number, the year, make and model of the vehicle as well as a description of the driver. Don’t get too close to try to get this information.

-Make sure to take note of the location and the direction of the vehicle.

-Call your local authorities to report this information.

Your call can help to save lives during this year’s event.

For more information on what’s going on around you for this year’s Cinco de Mayo, visit SouthFlorida.com for all of the planned events. While planning for your big night, don’t forget to plan out a safe and sober way to get home. Planning is the key to a safe holiday! Fiesta!
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Our Tamarac car accident attorneys oftentimes talk about the risks and the dangers that are associated with dangerous distracted driving habits. When we discuss these kinds of dangers, we’re frequently talking about inexperienced, teenage drivers.

According to a recent survey from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teen drivers aren’t only dangerous drivers when it comes to distractions they’re dangerous passengers, too. Teen passengers are some of the least likely of passengers to speak up when riding with a driver who is engaging in distractions and endangering the vehicle’s occupants on our roadways.

Older drivers were more likely to speak up and urge a driver to curb the distractions.

To help to get our teen passengers on board regarding the risks associated with distracting, and to get them to stop engaging in these dangerous distractions behind the wheel, the NHTSA is unveiling a new contest and campaign. It’s called the Distracted Driving Design Challenge and it’s asking teens between the ages of 13- and 18-years-old to design a social network icon. The winning icon will be used throughout the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) distracted driving campaign. The icon will be used on the Department’s Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and its other social media websites.

Teens have some of the highest risks for distraction-related car accidents in Broward and elsewhere. As a matter of fact, they’ve recorded the most distraction-related accidents of all age groups in recent years. The new anti-distraction campaign is working to shed some light on these dangers and to get teens talking, talking with one another about the risks that are associated with this dangerous driving habit.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic on our roadways, and these new findings show that our youngest drivers are particularly at risk,” said Secretary LaHood.

The NHTSA’s poll took the opinions and reports of nearly 10,000 drivers. When surveyed as passengers, about 90 percent acknowledged that driving while distracted was a dangerous habit and that the risks for an accident were in fact increased during that time, Only about a third of young drivers said that they would speak up and say something when riding with a driver who was engaging in distractions. About half of all participants who were surveyed who were over the age of 64-years-old said that they would speak up if they were in the same scenario.

Drivers and passengers are asked to work together to help keep our roadways distraction-free and ultimately accident-free.
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