Articles Posted in Car Accident

A local man has died as the result of a recent rollover accident in Davie. According to the Sun Sentinel, the auto accident happened around 7:30 p.m. when the man’s vehicle rolled over on State Road 84. His dog was trapped inside the vehicle when officers arrived. They had to call for backup to get the pup.

Officials have yet to determine the cause of the accident.

Our Davie injury attorneys understand how dangerous driving on our state’s busy roadways can be. Not only do you have to worry about the questionable driving habits of the motorists around you, but you also sometimes have to worry about the handling of your own vehicle. Rollover accidents have been plentiful in recent years, with the most common victims being those in SUVs, minivans and trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there are nearly 300,000 rollover accidents reported every year in the U.S. These accidents take the lives of about 10,000 every year.

As a matter of fact, about 40 percent of all fatal SUV accidents in 2006 resulted in a rollover accident. During that same year, less than 16 percent of fatal passenger car accidents resulted in a rollover. It’s clear that larger vehicles, like SUVs, are more prone to these kinds of accidents. This is typically because most times SUVs carry heavy loads making them even more top-heavy than they are naturally by design. This unbalance in weight makes them highly susceptible to these kinds of accidents.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rollover accidents, among all vehicles, account for about 25 percent of fatal passenger vehicle accidents.

Why SUV rollover accidents are so dangerous:

-These vehicles have a higher center of gravity than passenger cars.

-SUVs typically have narrower track widths, the measured distance between the left and right tires, than passenger cars.

-These vehicles are more likely than other vehicles to be driven on rural roadways. It is on these roadways that most rollover accidents happen.

Nearly 80 percent of all rollover accidents are single-vehicle accidents, according to the IIHS. Only about 20 percent of these accidents involve more than one vehicle.

Tips to Help Prevent a Rollover Accident:

-Stay in control of your vehicle at all times. This means avoid drowsy driving, drugs, alcohol and speeding.

-Be sure to maintain your vehicle’s tires. Never let your tires get too worn or under-inflated.

-Never over load or over pack your SUV.

-Be extremely careful when traveling along rural roads.

-If your vehicle veers off the road, avoid braking suddenly. Slow down your vehicle gradually and ease your way back onto the road. Sudden movements will increase your risks of a rollover accident.

-Research cars and rollover rates before purchasing. Check sites like SafeCar.gov for this type of information.
Continue reading →

The local police department was forced to conduct a traffic safety checkpoint after a slew of complaints were received about bad drivers in the city. Residents were calling and complaining about drivers’ poor and unsafe habits behind the wheel in the Fort Lauderdale area. These complaints included speeding and a number of other traffic violations. The checkpoint was held on Northwest 10th Street at approximately 6 p.m. Officers were there tracking down poor drivers for about four hours, according to the Sun Sentinel.

Drivers were selected at random and questioned about their driver’s license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration. This increased visibility enforcement effort was used to help raise awareness in drivers in the area and to help reduce the risks of car accidents in Fort Lauderdale.

Our Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers understand that traffic safety programs form an integral component of the effective, comprehensive law enforcement operation. Oftentimes, these programs are thrown in the backseat as other safety programs take first priority. Sometimes, it isn’t until it’s too late that these dangers are recognized and targeted by officials, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Some of the “more important” enforcement efforts target gang violence, violent crimes and the proliferation of illegal narcotics. The truth of the matter is that successful traffic initiatives help to reduce the risks of car crashes as well as help to save lives.

Some of this may seem so nonsensical to some of you safer drivers out there. Why are other drivers so dangerous behind the wheel when safe driving habits are so simple? Unfortunately, we do have those motorists on our roadways that choose not to obey the law. We have drivers who disobey traffic signals and signs, drivers who endanger nearby pedestrians, sleepy drivers, inexperienced drivers and we’ve got angry drivers. Essentially, we have many people who fail to acknowledge the dangers associated with driving or they fail to see their driving habits as a threat to roadway safety.

Safe Driving Tips from the City of Fort Lauderdale:

-Never drive with a license that has been suspended, canceled or revoked.

-Be sure to obey all traffic signs and signals.

-Practice defensive driving habits. These habits may be one of your best defenses against an accident with an irresponsible driver.

-Never drive when you’re feeling sleepy. Drowsy driving is a contributor to roughly 20 percent of all fatal accidents.

-Avoid drinking and driving. Not only is it illegal, but it’s dangerous and can produce deadly consequences.

-Stay calm behind the wheel. Another 20 percent of all accidents report the involvement of either an aggressive or an enraged driver. We all know there’s going to be some traffic on our roadways. Leave with plenty of time to reach your destination to avoid rushing and frustration.

-Parents are asked to keep an eye on the teen drivers in the family. Teen drivers have some of highest risks for car accidents.

-Just as we need to keep an eye on our young drivers, it’s important to keep an eye on the elderly drivers in the family.
Continue reading →

We can’t always ride along with our teen drivers. Luckily, there’s another way that we can keep an eye on them while they venture through the city on their own. It’s the Tiwi device. It’s like having a parent sit right there in the passenger seat, except it doesn’t take up as much room. Instead it’s a little device that’s located on the windshield — like a parent’s private eye that can help reduce the risks of car accidents in South Bay and elsewhere.

“…it knows where you are, how fast you are going, and most importantly, it knows the speed limit of the street you are driving on,” says Todd Follmer, CEO of Inthinc, the company that manufactures the device.

Our South Bay car accident lawyers understand that this technology is so similar to a parent passenger that it even provides voice warnings to teen drivers who are driving dangerously. If these warnings aren’t acknowledged and driving habits don’t shape up, then a message is sent to parents’ cell phones. The sheer thought of parental oversight is enough to help teen drivers fix their driving habits.

Geo-fencing is also a popular feature on this device. What this does is allow parents to set boundaries for teen drivers. Parents can set areas in which their teen is allowed to drive. When a teen goes outside of these boundaries, then parents will get a notification.

That’s not all. The Tiwi also comes with video cameras. These cameras are activated when the device senses that the driver is doing something risky. Parents have direct access to this footage, too.

Every week, the Tiwi sends reports to parents as to how their teen’s driving habits were and how safe they were behind the wheel. This helps to keep parents in tune with their teen’s road safety and driving skills. Ultimately, it helps to save lives.

‘Yes, they absolutely work,'” says Peter Kissinger, the CEO of AAA.

Teens may whine and complain that it’s an invasion of privacy. Isn’t a little privacy worth giving up to save your life? It’s knowing that a little reporting system is helping your teen to keep an eye on their driving habits. Teen drivers need to be reminded that driving is a privilege, a responsibility and must be taking seriously. They also need to know that parents are going to do everything in their power to keep their children safe behind the wheel.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were nearly 30,500 accidents involving teen drivers in 2009. Throughout the year, more than 150 of these teens died. Do your part to reduce these numbers and keep our teens safe behind the wheel. Parents can make the difference!
Continue reading →

Students throughout the state of Florida may get to experience Spring Break-like weather year round, but the truth of the matter is that the real Spring Break is quickly approaching. With this annual rite of youthful journey comes risks for serious car accidents in North Lauderdale and elsewhere throughout the state.

To help reduce these risks, Distraction.gov has stepped in and is pushing for teens and residents to make the pledge to drive distraction free! It’s a small step to take toward safer roadways, but make no mistake that it’s a helpful and useful one. As a matter of fact, teen drivers are at higher risks for distraction-related car accidents than any other age group of drivers.

Our North Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that there were nearly 5,745 people across the U.S. who were killed in 2009 in car accidents that involved a distracted driver. More than 15 percent of all fatal accidents recorded during the year involved a distracted driver. That’s more than 15 percent of accidents that didn’t have to happen. In addition to these fatalities, there were 448,000 injured in the same kinds of accidents. These accounted for a fourth of all injury accidents.

Just how serious is the problem? Consider this: There were nearly 200 billion text messages sent/received in the United States in July 2011. That’s about 50 percent more than the number texts sent/received in June 2009. If that’s any indication, as the number of messages increase so do our risks for accidents.

More specifically, teens are more likely than any other drivers to be involved in a fatal distraction-related car accident. In 2009, more than 15 percent of teen drivers who were involved in a fatal accident were reportedly distracted at the time of the accident.

We know teems are driving while distracted. As a matter of fact, about 40 percent of teens admit to riding in a car with a driver who uses a cell phone. This is not only endangering these drivers, but it’s endangering their passengers and other motorists on the roadway, too!

Drivers using a cell phone behind the wheel are 4 times more likely to get into an accident. Text messaging drivers are nearly 25 percent more likely to get into an accident.

Using a cell phone while driving:

-Reduces the amount of brain activity that is associated with driving by about 40 percent.

-Gives a driver the same reaction abilities as a driver who is legally drunk.

Talk with your teen before they hit the road for Spring Break. Your talk can help prevent a potentially fatal car accident. Make sure your teen takes the pledge to be a phone-free driver!
Continue reading →

Police chases are causing some serious injuries and death in car accidents in Oakland Park and elsewhere in Florida. Recently, a 21-year-old woman was hit at an intersection by a Broward Sheriff’s Deputy.

Reports of the accident indicate that the police cruiser went from 24 to 87 miles per hours in just 24 seconds. As the young driver attempted to make a left turn at Dixie Highway, her vehicle was T-boned by the deputy’s car. The impact was so severe that her car was cut in half. The accident threw her car nearly 100 yards. The driver’s sister was in the car when the accident happened. She was thrown nearly 40 feet from the accident site. Records reports that the officer was speeding to a traffic stop regarding a burned-out tail light, according to the Sun Sentinel.

“I couldn’t see very well because I was bleeding from my eye,” the driver was quoted as saying.

Our Oakland Park car accident attorneys understand that the deputy involved in the accident was fired and is awaiting charges of reckless driving and vehicular homicide. These consequences aren’t typically the case though when officers are involved. They’re often released. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only fatal accident in Florida involving a police chase or speeding officer. If you’re ever involved in a car accident with a police car, a fire truck or another type of official vehicle, you’re going to need vigilant representation. These kinds of accidents put police in charge of investigating their own. On average, police chases kill at least three innocent bystanders every week in the U.S. This number jumps from 3 to 5 when added with the number of fatalities due to police response calls.

There have been more than 20 people killed in the state of Florida since 2004 because of police chases.

“Most people agree that these pursuits should be controlled. Yet, researchers note a widespread lack of accurate data on the subject. The lack of a mandatory reporting system hampers attempts by NHTSA to track pursuit fatalities and results in the collection of as little as one-half of the actual data.” said John Hill with the FBI Law Enforcement.

Of Florida’s worst high-speed police accidents:

-A significant number of the officers involved in these accidents weren’t responding to crime scenes. Instead, they were speeding to respond to routine calls, were late to work or were speeding for no reason at all.

-Officers who are busted speeding are rarely punished by the criminal justice system. Officers found at fault for deadly accidents caused by speeding typically only face penalties of up to 2 months in jail, if anything. Most receive no criminal charges at all.

-In most police agencies, speeding isn’t addressed until it results in a serious accident. Even then, some officers are minimally disciplined, but continue to stay employed with the department and continue to work out on the road.

-Of the fatalities resulting from police-chase accidents, only seven were police officers. These officers were exceeding the speed limit by up to 60 miles per hour at the time of the accident.

Just look at the accident that killed a 65-year-old pedestrian back in September of 2010. The woman was out on her routine morning walk when she was hit by a Brevard Sheriff’s Deputy at 65 miles per hour (25 miles per hour over the posted speed limit). The officer received no criminal charges. He didn’t even get a speeding ticket. The case was dismissed.

In these cases, you need strong legal representation! Officers can’t always been trusted when investigating accidents that involve other officers.
Continue reading →

More and more teenage drivers are being killed in car accidents in Pahokee and elsewhere, according to a recent study from the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA). The GHSA study looked at teenage car and trucking accident statistics from the first half of both 2010 and 2011 and examined the trends involving these young driver fatalities. After combing through the stats, researchers concluded that there was an 11 percent increase in the number of driver deaths among 16- and 17-year-olds, despite a 1 percent decrease in overall fatalities reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Some of the most significant increases were in the state of Florida. During the first half of 2011, Florida saw 15 driver deaths in this young age group. Our state was the third-highest for these fatalities, behind Texas and North Carolina. In 2010 during the same time period, Florida authorities reported nine deaths in this young age group, illustrating a six-person increase. A lot of these teen driver fatalities were the result of car accidents involving large trucks on our state’s highways and interstates. Teens typically don’t fully understand the workings of traffic, vehicles and dangers on our roadways. For this reason, these young drivers are at extreme risks for accidents when driving around semi-trucks and tractor trailers.

Our Pahokee trucking accident attorneys understand that the GHSA report indicated that in the 16-year-old age group, the nation saw 80 driver deaths in the first half of 2010 and 93 in the first half of 2011. Among the 17-year-old age group, the nation saw 110 in 2010 and 118 in 2011. Through both of these age groups of drivers, that’s an 11 percent increase from 2010 to 2011, suggesting that more needs to be done to help save our inexperienced and vulnerable young drivers. These drivers need to be provided with more thorough education regarding travel around large trucks. To help to prevent a good number of these accidents, parents are asked to review safe driving tips and practices with teens. It’s important to focus on how to navigate our roads safely when large trucks are nearby.

Teen Driver Fatalities from 2010 to 2011:

-23 states reports increases.

-19 states reported decreases.

-8 states and the District of Columbia reported no change.

Williams says there are a few reasons as to why these numbers increased in a good deal of the country. He says that Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs aren’t enforced as much as they once were. He says officials need to review these laws, which have been on the books for quite some time, and focus on the ones that truly help our teen drivers. It’s those laws that need to be enforced better in driver education courses, by parents and by law enforcement officers. He says that the increase can also be attributed to the recovery of the economy. As the economy continues to grow, more teens are hitting our roadways more often. More time on the road equates to more risks for an accidents. With spring break quickly approaching, we can expect an increase in the number of teens on our roadways. Let’s prepare them now to drive safely on the roadways with big rigs, 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers and semis.

“While it is not a surprise that these numbers are stabilizing or slightly increasing, states should not accept these deaths as something that cannot be prevented. More work can and should be done to save teen lives,” says Williams.

Teens and Trucks, Safe Driving Tips from Geico:

-Be extra attentive when driving near large trucks.

-Never drive aggressively.

-Never drink and drive.

-Be cautious of a truck’s blind spots.

-Never tailgate a truck.

-Never cut off a large truck.

-Minimize the distractions behind the wheel, but especially when traveling near large trucks.

-When passing a truck, make sure you can see the entire truck in your rear-view mirror before entering the lane it’s in.

-Never try to squeeze into a lane when a truck is making a turn.

-Make sure you can always see the truck driver.

-Always buckle up.

-Remember that trucks can take up to the length of a football field to stop.

Most car-truck accidents happen because of the driver of the car. It’s most often because the car driver isn’t paying attention at the wheel.

Troy E. Costales, Chairman of GHSA, notes that the number of deaths for motorists of all ages combined saw a decrease during the time of this study. It was just teens who saw an increasing, pointing out the need to stricter road laws and education efforts pertaining to newly-licensed drivers.
Continue reading →

Car accidents in West Palm Beach and elsewhere are more likely with all the new in-car technologies available to drivers, reports The Palm Beach Post. Gloria Bergquist, the vice president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, says that car makers already follow a set of guidelines helping them to determine which devices are useful in a car and which are not. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that these guidelines aren’t good enough and drivers need to have less in-car electronics available to them while they’re operating a motor vehicle.

For this reason, the NHTSA is recommending a new set of guidelines for automakers. These rules would address the dangers associated with electronic tablets, pads, smartphones, navigational systems and much more. AAA says that in-car technologies shouldn’t make driving more convenient, but it should make it safer.

Our West Palm Beach car accident attorneys have talked about the dangers of distracted driving. While new in-car technology is meant to make driving easier and safer, the truth of the matter is that many of the new gadgets are taking driver’s attention off of the road. The NHTSA says it’s time to reexamine the necessities of in-car technologies and narrow it down to only the most beneficial ones, such as the advanced-warning systems. Those who oppose the new regulations say that drivers are going to be making phone calls, sending texts and operating GPS devices behind the wheel no matter what, so it’s best to offer hands-free ways to complete these tasks. That way, attention can stay on the road.

“Available research evidence is extremely limited and highly inconclusive on the real risks that in-car communications technologies pose to drivers, even when systems are limited to voice-activation only,” said AAA CEO and President Robert L. Darbelnet.

The NHTSA isn’t trying to get rid of these devices altogether. They are simply recommending that they be disabled while the car is in drive.

It’s no secret that car makers want to create and sell vehicles that are already equipped with devices that cater to today’s busy consumer, according to NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. He says he just wants automakers to consider roadway safety when creating and enabling these in-car devices.

Bergquist says that’s what automakers are already doing. She says that everything that drivers are doing in the vehicle with these devices is something they’d already be doing without the new technology. The in-car devices just make it safer for drivers to do these things.

Barbara Harsha, with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) says that these new recommendations from the NHTSA are an excellent step in the fight against distracted driving. She says there’s no in-car device that is safer than having both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and mind focused on driving.
Continue reading →

Our vehicles come equipped with so many high-tech features nowadays, it’s a wonder we even need houses. You can check your e-mail, make phone calls, send text messages, request map directions, surf the internet and so much more – all from the comfort of your driver’s seat. And that’s exactly the problem that safe driving advocates have with all of it. They say having all these technologies readily available behind the wheel exposes drivers to an increased risk of car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere.

According to PhysOrg.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed some changes. The Administration recently made a recommendation to automakers to stop making these devices available while a vehicle is moving. Officials with the NHTSA think that GPS devices, e-mail, text messages and phone calls should only be made while the car is in park.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that automakers are making vehicles to cater to the consumers, who are often busy, on-the-go motorists. Nowadays, there seems to be a need to be connected via internet, phone and texts 24/7. What we need to focus on when we’re behind the wheel is driving. Operating a vehicle is no time to engage in other activities. Although many of the new-car technologies are designed to help make our drive time easier, some people worry these devices are still just taking too much of our precious attention off the roadway.

“The guidelines we’re proposing would offer real-world guidance to automakers to help them develop electronic devices that provide features consumers want without disrupting a driver’s attention or sacrificing safety,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.

Gloria Bergquist with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers says these technologies are helping to make activities safer for drivers – and that these are actions drivers were already doing before the technology became available.

Under the proposed guidelines, only passenger cars and SUVs would be affected. The proposal does not limit technologies whose sole function is driver safety, like in-car warning systems. Drivers would still be able to use everything else, but only when the car’s transmission is safely in park.

Some argue that stopping these technologies when the car is moving is unfair. Many times, there are still passengers present in the car who can help with phone calls, texting, GPS navigating, etc. and the devices shouldn’t be disabled for them, too.

The ultimate responsibility here though lies with drivers. They must be willing to keep their eyes on the road, their hands on the steering wheel and their minds on driving. Until we can all exercise safe, alert and cautious driving habits, there will be a high number of accidents caused by distractions – technology or not.
Continue reading →