Articles Posted in Car Accident

After a recent West Palm Beach rollover accident, a man in his 50s had to be rushed to St. Mary’s Medical Center. In the accident, he was thrown out of his vehicle, according to a spokesman with the West Palm Beach Police. The accident happened at the intersection of Village Boulevard and 45th Street just before 2:00 p.m., reports The Palm Beach Post.

Officials have yet to determine the cause of the accident, but reports indicate that the man’s SUV ended up rolling over onto its roof after striking another vehicle at that intersection. Fault has not been determined. The man was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. The two passengers of the other vehicle were transported to Columbia Hospital.

Our West Palm Beach car accident lawyers understand that more than four out of every ten Americans think they’re safer in an SUV than in a smaller passenger car, according to the National Consumer Survey. At the same time, about half of Americans don’t consider that loading contributes to the risks of rollover accidents. Sometimes, SUVs provide a false sense of security for drivers. Nearly 40 percent of surveyed drivers said that they felt more powerful behind the wheel of an SUV than behind a smaller passenger car.

Here are the hard facts:

-SUVs rollover much more easily than other kinds of vehicles. Nearly 40 percent of deadly accidents involve a rollover. Less than 20 percent of passenger cars rolled over in the event of a fatal accident.

-SUVs had the highest occupant fatality rate of any kind of vehicle in rollover accidents. The rate was roughly 8 per 100,000 registered vehicles. Pickup trucks have a rate of less than 7, vans at about 3 and passenger cars slightly over 3.

-In 2006, single-vehicle rollover accidents accounted for about 50 percent of driver fatalities in SUVs. This is compared to less than 40 percent with pickup truck drivers and roughly 20 percent in passenger car drivers.

-In 2006, there were nearly 8,100 SUV occupants who died in a motor vehicle accident.

Just last year, there were more than 8,000 people who were killed in SUV rollover accidents. Motorists oftentimes feel a sense of security in these vehicles, but the truth of it is that these vehicles are much more prone to accidents in certain scenarios than other smaller vehicles. Drivers of all vehicles are urged to be cautious on our roadways, regardless of vehicle type. Safe and responsible driving habits may be your best defense in the event of an auto accident, regardless of which vehicle you’re in. Be safe out there!
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We’re getting weather temps creeping into the 90s and the heat brings about increased risks for heatstroke, hyperthermia and other heat-related child injuries in Hallandale and elsewhere.

To help raise awareness about the problem and to help to get parents, caregivers, babysitters and other childcare providers to keep a close eye on children during this time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is launching a new campaign, “Where’s baby? Look before you lock.” These kinds of accidents are actually the number one cause of non-crash, vehicle related fatalities for kids 13-years-old and younger. In just 2011, there were more than 30 of these fatal accidents reported.

“This campaign is a call-to-action for parents and families, but also for everyone in every community that cares about the safety of children,” said Ray LaHood, the USDOT Transportation Secretary.

Our Hollandale car accident lawyers understand that drivers don’t usually consider heatstroke and hyperthermia when talking about car accidents. But the truth of the matter is that these are very real threats and take the lives of far too many children every year. These accidents are completely preventable with a little bit of awareness. During the next few weeks, the NHTSA will be launching a number of online and radio ads to push the message of the “Where’s baby? Look before you lock,” campaign. The campaign is urging adults who transport children to check the car before getting out, locking it up and walking away. These kinds of accidents happen to all walks of life. Don’t think you’re safe.

Researchers with the NHTSA will be looking into after-market products designed to help adults remember children in the vehicle. Later in the summer, the findings and the ratings of these devices will be released.

While there were more than 30 fatalities reported because these kinds of accidents in 2011, the number of injuries resulting from these incidents is unknown. Some of the injuries that can result from leaving a child in a car can be a loss of hearing, a loss of eyesight and irreversible brain damage.

To help to prevent these kinds of accidents, the NHTSA offers the following tips:

-Adults are urged to never leave a kid alone in the car. It’s even extremely unsafe to leave a kid in the car with the air conditioning on full blast and the windows cracked.

-Adults are to make it a habit of looking throughout the car, for children, before getting out, locking the door and walking away.

-Parents and guardians should ask their childcare provider, daycare center or babysitter to alert them immediately if their child does not show up when expected.

-Place things in the front seat to remind you to turn around and check the car before getting out. An easy way to remember is to keep your purse, your briefcase, your cell phone or another important object in the back seat to force yourself to turn around and view the backseat before getting out.

-Keep you household’s car keys out of sight and out of reach of children.
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The Darrell Gwynn Foundation (DGF) is continuing on in its efforts to help keep our teens safe and out of potentially fatal car accidents throughout the state of Florida with another installment of its Education & Prevention Program (EPP).

According to The Examiner, this program reaches more than 10,000 Florida high school students and was created to help teach these kids about the dangers of dangerous driving habits, spinal cord injuries and other consequences of car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere.

This year’s presentation campaign, called “Prom Patrol: Keeping Teens Safe,” will be showcased at various South Florida high schools from the 23rd of April through the 4th of May.

Prom Patrol will be reaching out to South Florida teens in an attempt to promote positive habits and behaviors while teaching students about the dangers of distracted driving, drinking and driving and other dangerous prom-night behaviors. These messages will be conveyed through the program’s video presentation, “It Could Happen to You,” during the event.

Our Fort Lauderdale injury attorneys understand that teens face some of the highest risks for car accidents during this time of the year. They get to look forward to prom, to graduation and to summer break. What many overlook and fail to recognize are the risks that they face on our roadways. Teens, mile for mile, actually have the highest rates of accidents. Let’s all work together to spread the message of safe and responsible habits behind the wheel to our young drivers. Speaking up and reaching out may be one of the most effective ways to help keep these young ones safe on our roadways during this dangerous time of the year.

The Darrell Gwynn Foundation started back in 2002. Darrell Gwynn, the President of the Foundation, is a successful race car driver and team owner. Back in 1983 he took the top spot at the NHRA World Championship driving a Top Alcohol Dragster. Later in 2001, he was voted as one of the “50 Greatest Drivers All-Time” by NHRA. Just a year later he was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Now, he lives in Weston and uses his time helping to keep our roads safe for everyone. During this time of the year it’s the young drivers he targets.

Parents are urged to join in on Mr. Gwynn’s efforts and reach out to the teen drivers in their lives. These teens may not be old enough to drink, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. Of the teen drivers who were killed in car accidents last year, about a third of them were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Parents are urged to keep an eye on their teen’s prom plans. Make sure these plans don’t include booze. It’s also a good time to talk with them about the importance of focus behind the wheel. These young drivers are more likely than any other group of drivers to engage in distractions behind the wheel.
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Just this last week, a 100-year-old Florida man reportedly drove his vehicle into the path of an oncoming motorcycle, landing both men in the hospital. In the same area just 20 minutes later, an 80-year-old woman crashed her vehicle into a Chinese restaurant, demolishing the building and injuring two people. She said she mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal, according to The Tampa Tribune.

It’s accidents like these that undoubtedly reinforce the perception that many have about elderly motorists and their risks for car accidents in Weston and elsewhere. Comparative data, though, shows these kinds of accidents in a completely different light.

Our Weston injury attorneys understand that drivers who are 80-years-old and older had an accident rate of 90 per 10,000 drivers in 2010. When you compare this to the accident rate for drivers aged 15- to 24-years-old, at nearly 350 accidents per 10,000 drivers, it doesn’t seem that bad. But it’s still a very real threat. With age, our senses deteriorate and were less able to navigate our roadways safely. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just a part of life. It’s important that we recognize this deterioration and address it early!

It’s a fact, elderly drivers drive less than teenage drivers, which can ultimately have an effect on the accident data. What none of us can argue is that the post-retirement population of drivers in the state of Florida is growing rapidly. More and more of these elderly residents are driving along our roadways. As a matter of fact, the number of Florida residents 71-years-old and older with a driver’s license jumped by almost 100,000 in the last five years. We’ve now got nearly 2 million of these drivers in our state. The number of drivers 90-years-old and older has also jumped nearly 30 percent since 2007. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), there are nearly 500 licensed drivers in the state of Florida that are 100-years-old or older.

Florida does not require these elderly drivers to undergo thorough screenings to test their driving abilities. Actually, requirements don’t change much with age. The only difference can really be seen in the vision test, requiring drivers over the age of 79 to take one. Also, drivers under the age of 79 can hold their license for eight years before renewal. Drivers over the age of 80 can only have a license for six years before a renewal is required.

Regardless of the statistics and the testing, families are urged to keep an eye on the elderly loved ones in their family to make sure that they’re staying safe behind the wheel. When an elderly driver’s abilities start to fail, it’s important to speak up. Your concern and intervention can help to keep them out of a potentially fatal accident.
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Distracted driving is dangerous for everyone. The age group already with the highest risks for car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere — teenagers — is more likely to engage in distractions behind the wheel.

Go figure! A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety discovered which of these teen drivers were most likely to compromise roadway safety and which were likely to engage in distractions behind the wheel. It was the girls. Female teen drivers were twice as likely to use portable electronic devices at the wheel as male teen drivers.

According to Market Wire, the AAA study looked at the driving habits of 50 families with teen drivers in North Carolina. After combing through about 8,000 video clips from in-car camera systems, it was concluded that females were distracted behind the wheel more than the male teens. They were distracted about 5 percent more of the time.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that more than electronic devices were contributing the driver distractions. Drivers were also witnessed eating, drinking, playing with controls, talking with passengers and much more. All of these actions take driver attention off of the roadway, if even for a moment. It’s those moments that can mean the difference between life and death.

“This new study provides the best view we’ve had about how and when teens engage in distracted driving behaviors believed to contribute to making car crashes the leading cause of death,” said AAA President and CEO Peter Kissinger.

This was the first study to use in-car video to examine teenage distracted driving habits. Previous studies involving distracted driving measured braking habits, swerving, acceleration, g-force measurements, etc. Those studies looked at the results of distracted driving as opposed to which drivers were guilty of all this distracted driving in the first place.

The findings of the study concluded that electronic devices are the number one cause of distractions for these young drivers. Aside from electronics, the most common distractions were grooming, eating, drinking, playing with controls and talking to passengers. Female teens were more likely to engage in all of these distractions except for talking with people outside of the car and turning around in the driver’s seat.

Older teen drivers were witnessed engaging in more acts of distracted driving than younger drivers. Researchers believe that this is because as the teens got more comfortable behind the wheel, they feel like they are less influenced by distractions and are able to keep their attention on the road simultaneously. That’s not true though. Taking your eyes of the road for even a second can cause a fatal accident before you even know it.
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Drivers beware! Cutting off a truck could cost you your life. If you live through the dangerous maneuver then it could cost you a fine. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), officers will be on the lookout for dangerous and aggressive drivers through their second phase of Targeting Aggressive Cars and Trucks.

The goal of this campaign is to help to reduce the risks of car accidents in Riviera Beach and elsewhere.

“The campaign aims to reduce commercial motor vehicle-related crashes, injuries and fatalities by combining outreach and education with targeted enforcement activities,” said Col. David Brierton of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

Our Riviera Beach car accident lawyers understand that the FHP is taking this campaign very seriously and is looking for dangerous drivers in an attempt to make our roadways a little safer for everyone. The FHP is teaming up with the Florida Trucking Association for the week-long campaign taking place from March 30th through April 4th. During this time, troopers will be looking for both car and truck drivers who are driving aggressively, including speeding, unsafe lane changes and tailgating.

To help spread the word about the campaign and to spread the message about the importance of safe driving habits, the awareness efforts will be using radio messages and billboards throughout the state. Car and truck drivers are asked to navigate safely around one another to reduce the risks of not only a traffic ticket, but for an accident as well.

Mary Lou Rajchel, the CEO and President of the Florida Trucking Association, says that we need efforts from both car and truck drivers to help make our state’s roadways safe for all. She says that safety is a top priority of the trucking industry and it will continue working at making our roadways as safe as possible. Truckers and trucking companies are pleased to push the ‘No Zone’ message about helping to keep passenger-vehicle drivers out of the blind spots of large trucks. She’s happy to couple the “big trucks equal big blind spots’ and the ‘see what drivers see’ messages to help promote safe driving habits for everyone.

In 2008, more than 10 percent of fatal traffic accidents reported the involvement of a large truck. For this purpose, large trucks are defined as vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 pounds. In these accidents, nearly 85 percent of people who were killed were in passenger vehicles while only about 15 percent of those who died were the occupants of a large truck.

Speeding is one of the most common factors in these accidents, prevalent in more than 30 percent of fatal accidents. In 2008, there were nearly 12,000 people killed in speeding-related accidents.

Speeding is a form of aggressive driving. Drivers are asked to not only be careful during the Targeting Aggressive Cars and Trucks enforcement campaign, but during every other day out of the year, too. Responsible and safe driving habits can save lives.
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The U.S. Senate recently passed “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” (MAP-21) to help make our roadways a little bit safer for everyone. MAP-21 includes the ROADS SAFE Act and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) couldn’t be happier about it. The organization recently released an announcement expressing its gratitude with the Senate for the funds that will now be used to help develop certain in-vehicle advanced technologies aimed at preventing drunk driving accidents.

MADD is excited because the in-car technologies can help to detect drunk drivers before they get behind the wheel and increase the risks for fatal accidents in Fellsmere and elsewhere.

Through MAP-21, a total of nearly $15 million will be offered to researchers over the span of 2 years to help them to develop the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) system. Federal transportation officials are hoping that the completion of these projects will help to save tens of thousands of lives every year. Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety will be working on advancing this technology.

Our Fellsmere drunk driving car accident lawyers understand that there were nearly 11,000 people who were killed in the United States in 2009 because of alcohol-related auto accidents. That is nearly 11,000 people who didn’t have to die, considering these kinds of accidents are completely preventable. Still, alcohol continues to be a contributor in one out of every three traffic-related fatalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In addition to the ones who were killed in these alcohol-related traffic accidents, nearly 1.5 million were also busted by law enforcement officials for driving drunk in 2009. To make matters even worse, more than 1,300 of the fatalities that our country witnessed in these kinds of accidents were children under the age of 14.

“The safety provisions included in MAP-21 could truly set in motion the elimination of drunk driving and save tens of thousands of lives each year,” said MADD’s National President Jan Withers.

Included in the MAP-21 program are updates to our country’s highway safety programs, including an incentive program that will be used to urge states to adopt tougher ignition interlock sentences for all drunk driving offenders. In states that already have these kinds of laws, drunk driving-related fatalities have decreased by more than 50 percent, proving that passing these kinds of laws is an effective way to reduce the risks.

Lastly, the new program will help to fund the high-visibility crackdown efforts of Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click it or Ticket and Drive Sober, both programs that have been proven effective in helping to prevent alcohol-related traffic accidents.
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Another state is being added to the list of areas where drivers are no longer allowed to text message behind the wheel. No, it’s not Florida. This time it’s Pennsylvania, according to Times News. According to Governor Tom Corbett, this law was signed to help to stop distraction-related car accidents throughout the state. He adds that no text message is worth a human life. The new legislation comes with a campaign slogan — Drive Now & Text Later.

Still, distracted driving continues to be one of the top contributors to car accidents in Wilton Manors and elsewhere throughout the state of Florida. Yes, Florida is one of the only states left that has absolutely no restrictions on drivers and their use of cell phones and text messaging devices. According to Hands Free Info, the state’s Legislature has once again adjourned without passing a distracted driving law. Sen. Nancy Detert’s bill had the most traction with officials this year, but it still failed to make it through the Senate.

Our Wilton Manors car accident lawyers understand that Detert’s SB 416 was even drafted as a secondary enforcement to help make it more palatable for long-resistant lawmakers. This one was shot down in the Senate Transportation Committee. If it’s not obvious enough already, there are a lot of officials in the Sunshine State that are opposed to these kinds of laws. Take House Speaker Dean Cannon for example. He said that there are a number of distracted driving behaviors that are just as dangerous as texting and officials can’t run around tackling everyone for every distracting activity. He strongly opposes another “layer of prohibitive behavior.”

Florida’s 2012 cell phone and text messaging legislation:

-SB 416: Aimed to ban drivers in the state of Florida from text messaging behind the wheel. This law would have acted as a secondary offense. This legislation has already “died on calendar.”

-SB 122: Aimed to require that all students of driving courses complete a lesson covering the risks associated with distracted driving. This legislation died in Budget subcommittee on Transportation.

-SB 930: Aimed to ban drivers under the age of 19-years-old from using hand-held cell phones and other electronic devices. This legislation would have been a secondary offense. It has already died in Transportation.

-HB 299: Aimed to completely prohibit text messaging use for all drivers. This legislation was never considered.

-HB 187: Aimed to ban the use of hand-held cell phones and text messaging devices for drivers under the age of 19-years-old and school bus drivers. This legislation was never considered.

-HB 39: Aimed to instruct motorists who were cited for using a hand-held device to appear in front of a “designated official.” This legislation was never considered.

It’s sad that many of these bills were never even considered. Until Florida decides to fight back against these preventable accidents, travelers on our roadways will continue to be killed because of phone calls and text messages. It hardly seems worth it.
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Our Deerfield Beach car accident lawyers oftentimes talk about the dangers of drunk driving, distracted driving, teenage driving and aggressive driving. We’re going to be focusing on sleepy drivers throughout this blog entry as well as the risks that are associated with drowsy driving. Even though nearly 100 percent of all drivers view this driving behavior as completely unacceptable and unsafe, about a third of all drivers admit to driving while drowsy, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Every year, there are more than 100,000 auto accidents in Deerfield Beach and elsewhere that are caused by drowsy drivers. Many officials believe that the true accident number is much higher because it’s virtually impossible for a law enforcement officer or emergency responder to identify a driver’s drowsiness and its role in an accident. Of the 100,000 accidents that are reported annually, more than 1,500 people are killed and another 40,000 are injured. These are car accidents that are completely preventable with a little bit of responsibility.

To help to fight against drowsy driving-related car accidents, car manufacturers are equipping more and more vehicles with crash-avoidance technology, according to Edmunds.com. Car manufacturers warn that this technology does not replace drivers’ common sense, like a good night’s sleep or safe driving habits, but it may help to bring down the number of car accidents.

What’s is Crash-Avoidance Technology?

-Blind spot detection.

-Lane departure warning.

-Emergency brake assistance.

-Forward collision warning.

-Adaptive headlights.

Officials suggest that both the lane departure technology and the forward warning technology will be able to help keep drowsy drivers on our roadways by overtaking the vehicle’s controls when needed, according to David Zuby with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These technologies are not to be relied on however, in place of alert driving techniques.

In 2012, there were 68 new vehicle makes that had at least one of these technologies. In 2011, there were only 45 makes that met these criteria, illustrating the growing popularity of these devices.

Oftentimes, drivers are offered insurance deals for having this technology in their vehicles. While this technology may be able to help us stay on the road a little better, it’s certainly not a substitute for driver awareness. Drivers are still asked to drive responsibly, regardless of the presence of crash-avoidance technology. Be sure that you’re well-rested whenever you get behind the wheel. The road and the task of driving deserve your full attention. Don’t shortchange driving tasks and put your life, and the lives of other motorists, at risk.
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