Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog

There were more than 36,000 people killed in car accidents in 2012, according to preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council (NSC). Officials say that this is the first increase in the number of yearly traffic accident fatalities since 2005. It’s an increase of about 5 percent to be exact — and that’s worrying safety advocates.
Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that this number is on the rise as the economy improves. It’s a correlation we see over and over again. The number of car accident fatalities almost always directly correlates with the status of the economy. When we’re all doing better (financially), more feel comfortable spending at the pump and the number of total miles driven increases. With more people on our roadways traveling more miles, the risks for car accidents increase. It’s an alarming trend that we need to try and head of immediately.

For fatal accidents, the costs came to more than $276 billion (also a 5 percent increase from the year before). Included in these costs are property damage, administrative expenses, medical expenses, employer costs as well as loss in wages and productivity.

“NSC is greatly concerned with the upswing in traffic fatalities on our nation’s roads,” said Janet Froetscher with the NSC.

The Florida DMV offers drivers a few simple safety tips to practice behind the wheel to help to improve the odds and to help to reduce the risks of accidents.

Safe Driving Tips:

-Always follow the two-second rule. Make sure you keep your distance from the vehicle in front of you. Here’s how: Watch the vehicle ahead pass a fixed point (sign or tree). Count 1001 and 1002 (2 seconds). If you reach the mark before you say 1002 you’re tailgating – back off!

-Make sure you keep an eye out for dangerous drivers. Lookout for those who speed, make abrupt turns or swerve excessively, display inconsistent signals and those who tailgate. Lookout for drivers who are distracted as well. You don’t want them endangering you.

-Avoid drinking and driving. That’s one sure way to increase your risks for an accident. Not only is it dangerous, but it’s illegal. You run the risk of jail time, close to $10,000 in fines and increased insurance premiums.

-Don’t let out your aggression behind the wheel. Don’t yell, honk unnecessarily, tailgate, accelerate through yellow lights or interfere with other people’s driving. Drive defensively and be on the lookout.

-Keep your eyes on the road. Drivers who were distracted while using mobile telephones, changing CDs in the stereo, eating, applying makeup or smoking have caused many accidents. When driving, we have to remember we have a responsibility to our loved ones, and to others, as well as to ourselves, to do everything within our power to stay focused on safety.
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Be careful along A1A. We are entering the height of tourist season and this old, antiquated road will be packed with bumper to bumper traffic — intermixed with bicyclists, pedestrians, springbreakers, revelers and rabble-rousers.

Did we mention it will also be under construction?

City transportation officials are doing some heavy work along this roadway to help to correct the damage that was caused by Hurricane Sandy. According to the Sun Sentinel, crews are only working on a new sea wall now, but they will soon be working to add extra lanes for vehicular traffic and new bike lanes for bicyclists.

There’s going to be a lot going on in the area and travelers are urged to be careful out there. Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys ask that you try to steer clear of A1A from Northeast 14th Court and 18th Street, north of Sunrise Boulevard. It’s going to be congested and it’s going to be dangerous. Road work areas are dangerous places for car accidents. This is especially true in heavy traffic. We’re right in the middle our tourist season and we’ve got Spring Break quickly approaching. With all of those vehicles on our roadways, accidents are more likely. When you add in the dangers of work zones, these risks skyrocket.

“This will be the most noticeable work that’s taken place so far,” said Barbara Kelleher, a spokeswoman with FDOT.

Roadwork will be going on every day from now through the first week of May. Hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sundays. This is a project that’s running a tab of more than $8 million.

The road is going to stay open, but notice that the speed limit has been dropped to 25 miles per hour.

While crew are working on the road and restriping lanes, you’re asked to be on the lookout. Slow it down, keep distractions away from the driver and travel with caution.

When traveling in areas like this, especially with heavy traffic, you want to be on your best behavior behind the wheel. Pay attention to road signs and abide by what they say. Slow down your speed and keep an eye out for roadside workers and equipment. Keep an eye out for other vehicles, too. Drivers can get distracted in these areas and can drift into areas they’re not supposed to be.

Remember that about 85 percent of the people who are killed in these work zones are those in a motor vehicle. Most work zone accidents involve either a passenger car or an SUV. In 2010, there were close to 600 people killed in work zone accidents, according to The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. In the state of Florida, there were close to 45 fatalities that occurred in motor vehicle accidents in work zones during that year. let’s work together and practice safe and cautious driving habits to help to reduce these risks and to keep everyone safe in these zones.
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There were close to 70,000 hit-and-run crashes in the state of Florida in 2012. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), about 170 people died in these accidents.

It’s a story that’s all too common here in South Florida. Consider the accident that happened just a few weeks ago that took the life of Miami Beach executive chef Stefano Riccioletti. Luckily, the fleeing driver in the accident was busted because he was followed by a witness from the scene. Not everyone is so lucky. In this accident, the 63-year-old chef was hit by a passing motorist while driving his bicycle, according to 7News.

Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers understand that fleeing drivers are usually fleeing for a reason. Many times, they have no insurance, no driver’s license or they’re under the influence. Whatever the reason, they choose to leave the scene of the accident and leave the victims helpless to fend for themselves. It’s an act that has to be stopped and officials throughout the state are working to educate drivers about the risks.

During a recent press conference, officials and victims met to help to raise awareness of the problem. In attendance was Jennifer Richards on the ninth anniversary of her daughter’s death. Her daughter was killed in a car accident in which the driver left the scene of the accident and was never found by officials. In many of these types of collisions, the victim may make a claim with his or her own insurance carrier. Consulting an experienced personal injury law firm is a vital first step in the immediate aftermath of such crashes.

It’s important to remember that leaving the scene of a collision when someone has been injured or has died is a felony traffic offense. You can wind up facing prison time if you decide to leave the scene of an accident — even if there is only property damage. You are required under law to remain at the scene of the accident. You can’t flee the scene avoiding the consequences because officers will come looking for you. You can see all of the Active Hit & Run Cases on the DHSMV website.

If you have information on any hit-and-run car accidents in the area, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers:

-Miami-Date: 305-493-TIPS

-Broward: (954-493-TIPS

“We hope the education awareness campaign and our partnerships with Florida law enforcement agencies and FDOT will help us meet our mission goals of traffic safety,” said Col. David Brierton with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

If you’re involved in an accident, you’re asked to remain calm. Contact law enforcement for assistance. Make sure you take note of the scene. Gather information from drivers, vehicles and witnesses involved. You want to make sure any injured parties get the help they need, too.

Staying at the scene of an accident is not only the right and moral thing to do, but it’s illegal if you don’t. We understand that accidents happen. Do the right thing if you’re involved in one.
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After a Tuesday morning rollover accident, all of the northbound lanes of Northeast St. James Drive were blocked. According to Port St. Lucie police, a 45-year-old woman from Fort Pierce was injured in the incident.

News Channel 5 reports that the accident happened at about 9:00 a.m. The driver reportedly crossed over the median and drove into oncoming traffic. After crossing traffic, her vehicle slammed into a tree and flipped over.

Our Port St. Lucie car accident attorneys understand that rollover accidents account for about a third of all passenger vehicle fatalities. According to Safercar.gov, more than 10,000 people are killed each and every year in rollover accidents. Your taller, more narrow vehicles (like SUVs) are more prone to rollover accidents. These accidents have a higher fatality rate than any other type of accident.

Many rollovers happen when drivers overcorrect their steering as a panic reaction to an emergency. Many even do this only when their tire leaves the roadway. When you’re going fast, overcorrecting or excessive steering can cause you to lose control of the car, which can lead to a rollover accident.

If your vehicle leaves the roadway, what you want to do is gradually reduce speed. Then, when it’s safe to do so, ease the vehicle back onto the roadway.

Another important way to help to reduce your risks of a rollover accident is to make sure you’ve got the right amount of tire pressure in each of your tires. You also want to keep an eye on tire condition. Tires that are worn are more likely to cause your vehicle to rollover.

You also want to be careful when traveling through rural areas. As a matter of fact, officials estimate that about 75 percent of all rollover crashes happen in rural areas.

Keep an eye on how much you’re loading onto your vehicle, too. It’s a good idea to check the owner’s manual of your vehicle to see how to properly use the roof rack and to see what the maximum weight is as well. Remember that any load placed on the roof will be above the vehicle’s center of gravity, and will increase the vehicle’s likelihood of rolling over.

Top Causes of Rollover Accidents:

-The kind of vehicle you drive. As we said, taller, more narrow vehicles (like SUVs) are more prone to rollover accidents.

-Speed. The faster you’re traveling, the higher your risks are for an accident.

-Alcohol. About half of all rollover accidents involve a drunk driving.

-Location. Be cautious while driving in rural areas and traveling on roadways that have a speed limit exceeding 55 miles per hour.

-Routine Driving. According to the NHTSA< about 90 percent of vehicles involved in rollover accidents were involved in routine driving maneuvers, meaning that the driver may not have been paying attention, speeding or driving under the influence. When we drive the same routes every day, we can get too used to them and put safety on the back burner.
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The next 40 days will be the most dangerous time of the year on South Florida roads.

According to the Sun Sentinel, commuters in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties spent more than 45 hours stuck in traffic in 2011. That’s up from the 2010 calculations in the Texas Transportation Institute’s annual congestion report. This report ranks metropolitan areas around the country by the amount of time drivers waste in traffic and how much extra time is needed to get to where we’ve got to be, in addition to a number of other factors.

Here in South Florida, if you’re planning on taking a trip that would normally take a half hour when there are few vehicles on the road, the same trip could take more than an hour and a half, according to the “planning time index” that was created by researchers. What this index does is it calculates the amount of extra time that you’re going to need to get to where you’ve got to be on time. The index is accurate 19 out of 20 times.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that congestion is getting worse and worse as our economy improves. More people are feeling comfortable spending at the pump and therefore there are more cars sharing our roadways. For example, before the downturn in the economy, South Florida logged less than 60 hours in traffic back in 2005.

This means a lot more than wasting time in traffic. All of that time is cost South Florida drivers close to 95 million gallons of fuel. That means each driver wasted close to 30 gallons of gas sitting in traffic.

Out of all the metro areas in the country (close to 500), our area ranked 11th. In the previous year, we ranked in at 15. And it’s only expected to get worse, so be ready.

If we don’t do anything about this congestion, officials are estimating that the costs of sitting in traffic are going to balloon by close to 70 percent by 2020. We can also expect the number of hours we’re going to lose to jump by close to 60 percent.

To help to alleviate this congestion, Interstate 95 has converted its carpool lanes to express lanes. In these lanes, drivers can pay a toll for a generally faster and less congested trip.

On the turnpike, officials got rid of chokepoints from Miamar to Florida City. By removing the tollbooths, drivers can pay the toll with overhead gantries. Now, everyone who passes through can pay with SunPass or they will be getting a bill in the mail.

Before heading out, you’re urged to plan! Leave with plenty of time to spare to accommodate traffic and congestion. Allowing yourself extra time will help to eliminate the need to speed and will help to keep you safe and on time!
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The first year our teens get their driver’s license is among the most exciting — and dangerous — time of their life. Truth be told, car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens across the nation. For this reason, we’re asking parents to step up and to take charge of their teen’s learning process.

The “Drive it HOME” website is one valuable resource parents can use.

Our Belle Glade accident lawyers understand that one of the most beneficial moves to help teach our young drivers the rules of the road is to join the process with them. Make sure you’re offering them plenty of supervised driving time. Ride along with them often and provide them with some constructive criticism. Whenever they’re riding along with you, make sure you’re on your best behavior and offering them the safest example you can. Practice what you preach!

Another proactive move you can take is to enact a parent-teen driving contract between you and the young drivers in your family. Make sure that you lay out all of the expectations and rules you have for them behind the wheel. It’s also useful to lay down the consequences for breaking any of these rules, too.

When creating your parent-teen driving contract, you want to make sure that you lay down the laws for unsafe speeds, passengers, seat belt use, nighttime driving and impaired driving.

-Unsafe speeds. It’s important to realize that speed limits are there to keep us safe. The faster you’re traveling, the higher your risks for getting into an accident.

-Passengers. Consider limiting the number of passengers that your teen can drive with. Passengers only serve as distractions to teen drivers and increase their risks for an accident.

-Seat belts. These devices can save lives. Make sure that your teen knows that everyone in the vehicle needs to be buckled in during every car ride.

-Nighttime driving. The state of Florida might not have the toughest limitations on exactly when these young drivers can drive at night. Currently, 16-year-old drivers cannot drive from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. while 17-year-old drivers cannot drive from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Don’t be afraid to enact tougher limitations within your household to help to reduce the risks of accidents.

-Impaired driving. Your teen might not be old enough to purchase alcohol, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t get their hands on it. Drinking among teens is more common than you might think. Make sure your teen understands the risks of drinking and driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 2,000 teenage drivers killed in car accidents in the U.S. in 2010. Of these fatalities, more than 100 of them occurred in the state of Florida. Parents need to step in and step up now to help to keep their young drivers safe out there!
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Passenger-vehicle traffic has little chance when involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer or other large commercial vehicle. With rising concern, officials with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) have launched the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks safety campaign.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), the enforcement campaign will be targeting the West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas. The official campaign runs from February 4th through February 8th. During this time, law enforcement officers will be out on our roadways hunting down drivers who display aggressive driving habits.

“The Florida Highway Patrol is committed to keeping our roadways safe for all motorists, and we are pleased to partner with the Florida Trucking Association on this safety campaign,” said the Director of FHP, Col. David Brierton.

Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys understand that aggressive driving habits can include behavior exhibited by many drivers, including following too closely and unsafe lane changes. We’re asking all drivers to be safe out there and to remember that we’re all sharing the road — and we need to do so safely.

Officials with the FHP offer some safety tips to help to ensure that we’re all sharing the road safely together. Consider the following advice:

-Make sure you never travel in a truck’s blind spots. These can also be referred to as the No Zones. Your best bet is to remember that if you can’t see the driver of the truck, then he cannot see you.

-Be ready for a wide right turn. Remember that these drivers need to swing wide to the right so they can make the turn. Steer clear of these vehicles when they’re turning.

-Always pay attention. Don’t allow distractions to make their way into the driver’s seat. Focus your attention on safe driving.

-Leave some extra room for trucks. This is especially important when following behind them. Remember it can take them about twice as long to stop as you.

-Buckle up! Don’t forget that a seat belt is your best bet against injury or death in the event of an accident. Make sure that everyone in your vehicle is buckled in during each car ride.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 200 large trucks involved in fatal car accidents in the state of Florida in 2010. Many of these accidents can be prevented with safer driving. These risks are only expected to increase unfortunately. With the snowbirds and all of the tourists in town, we have less room on our roadways. It’s more important than ever that we drive with caution and be courteous of those we share the road with, especially larger vehicles. Stay back and stay out of the danger zones. It could wind up saving your life!
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