Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog

You never know what you’re going to get with the Florida weather. One minute it’s storming and the next minute the sun is shining through. Because of the fickleness of Mother Nature, we’re asking all drivers to be prepared for the worst as rainy season comes to an end.

Officials with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) are asking the same thing after a multitude of accidents during a recent stormy weekend.

There were a number of car accidents that happened both on Interstate 10 and Interstate 75 over past weekends. Now, officers with the Florida Highway Patrol and asking motorists statewide to consider roadway and weather conditions before heading out and to adjust their driving habits to accommodate whatever they may encounter out there.

“Incidents such as these are a reminder of the precautions motorists should take while driving in extreme weather,” said the director of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Col. David Brierton.

Our Lantana car accident attorneys understand that weather is a frequent contributor to car accidents, as is driving too fast for conditions. It’s important for drivers to remember that we can’t drive like it’s clear and sunny all the time. When Florida’s skies open up, we need to adjust our driving habits to accommodate it. When it’s wet and slippery out, it’s important that we slow down, make sure our headlights are on and pay extra attention to our surroundings. Officials with the FHP are here to offer drivers with some extra safe diving tips to help prevent accidents during rain and thunderstorms.

Safe Driving Tips for Rainy Weather:

-Slow it down. You need more time to react to dangers out there and it also takes longer to stop on slick roadways.

-Make sure you keep a safe distance from other vehicles. Your vehicle is more likely to skid on slippery and wet streets.

-If the rain is coming down too hard and you’re having a tough time seeing out of your windshield, you should pull over and wait it out.

-Make sure you’re driving with your headlights turned on.

-Make sure that your tires are in good condition. Make sure that the tire tread depth is significant. Worn tires increase your risks for slipping and sliding out there.

-Keep an eye on your windshield wipers. Test them periodically to make sure they’re working well. A rain storm is not the time to figure out that you need to replace them.

-Make sure that you always wear a seat belt. Buckling up can mean the difference between life and death in the event of an accident.

As you know, rain in Florida can be year round and we can’t always predict when we’re going to run into these conditions. Make sure you’re always ready by not only keeping an umbrella with you, but by making sure your car is in good-working condition for the weather and that you adjust your driving behaviors accordingly.
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Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol are targeting unsafe drivers on our roadways. It’s all a part of Operation Safe Driver, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). This campaign is taking place from the 14th through the 20th of October. It’s a nationwide campaign that’s pushing awareness and education of unsafe driving habits.

Both commercial and non-commercial drivers are targeted through this effort. One of the main driving behaviors that is targeted through this effort is aggressive driving. During this week-long campaign, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers will be out combing our roadways for unsafe drivers and will be conducting commercial vehicle driver safety inspections — all to make our roadways safer for you.

“The campaign aims to educate all motorists of the risks involved with aggressive and distracted driving around large trucks.” said Col. David Brierton with the FHP.

Our Tamarac car accident lawyers understand the risks that accompany driving in South Florida. Many of our streets are designed to handle fast-moving traffic, yet are too antiquated to handle today’s volume. It’s important that we all travel together and travel cautiously to help to reduce the risks of accidents. All too often, large trucks are treated just as any other passenger vehicle is. The truth of the matter is that semis, tractor-trailers, big-rigs and other commercial vehicles require special treatment. We all need to adjust our driving habits around these vehicles as accidents with them can produce some serious, if not fatal, results.

Funding from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) helps make programs and campaigns like the Operation Safe Driver a reality. Each year, officials with the FHP conduct more than 100,000 commercial vehicle inspections. In 2011, there were close to 20,000 vehicles and drivers who were put out of service because they did not pass these inspections.

Safety Tips for Driving With Commercial Vehicles:

-Never cut off a truck. These vehicles take longer than our passenger vehicles to come to a complete stop. You’re also less likely to be seen when driving in front of a truck.

-Never travel in a truck driver’s blind spots. If you can’t see the driver, then they’re not able to see you. These are the no-no zones.

-Stay away from trucks. Never follow too closely, or tailgate, commercial vehicles. When passing one, do so swiftly. Never linger alongside or near a truck. Stay away and stay safe.

-Trucks take wide turns. Remember that these vehicles need more space to make a turn than our vehicles do. Make sure you allow them with plenty of room. You never want to get caught in a tight squeeze with a truck. More than likely you’ll lose.
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From the 14th through the 20th of October, our nation will be recognizing the dangers that teen drivers face on our roadways. It’s all a part of National Teen Driver Safety Week. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), this week-long campaign takes place during the third week of each October.

After all, car accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for these young Americans. Currently, there are roughly 700,000 teens in the Sunshine State who have a driver’s license. Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that there were close to 30,000 teen drivers in the state of Florida who were involved in car accidents in 2011. In these accidents, there were close to 200 teens (15- to 19-years-old) who were killed. Many of these accidents can be prevented with a little more young driver education and awareness.

To help to spread the word, officials with the DHSMV recently sponsored presentations at high schools in Tallahassee, Apopka, Tampa and Miami. These presentations aimed to provide dramatizations of car accidents as they would be viewed through these young viewers’ eyes. The non-profit organization, Stay Alive From Education (S.A.F.E.) headed these presentations. Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) also talked to young drivers about the importance of wearing a seat belt, of making sure that we’re sober behind the wheel, about the risks associated with distracted driving and of the risks associated with having teen passengers in our cars.

“It is important that teens learn to be safe drivers from the beginning, and we encourage parents to be involved and set good examples for their children,” said Julie L. Jones, the Executive Director with the DHSMV.

For each day of this year’s campaign, officials nationwide will be focusing on one point of safe driving for these young drivers, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

Seven Days of Safe Driving:

1.) Seat Belt Use: Seat belts can save lives. Make sure you buckle up during every car ride, whether you’re the driver or a passenger.

2.) Curb Distractions: Cell phones and text messaging devices only increase your risks for an accident. Keep your attention on driving.

3.) Nighttime Driving: Don’t drive at night if you don’t have to. Your risks for an accident during this time are much higher than during the daytime hours.

4.) Passenger Safety: Younger passengers increase your risks of an accident. Keep the young passengers to a minimum.

5.) Florida GDL Laws: Make sure that teens are aware of the state’s graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) program’s laws.

6.) Make the Rules: Set your own driving rules in your home to increase roadway safety where the state’s laws lack.

7.) Know the Risks: Talk with your teen often about the dangers of unsafe driving habits. Become an active member in their driving career.
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Elderly drivers and those of the aging Baby Boomer population might be able to stay behind the wheel a lot longer if technology continues to advance at its current rate. According to U.S. News, California became the third state in the country to legalize driverless cars. The state of Florida and Nevada have also approved the technology. Google has been getting most of the attention for this kind of technology, but even auto manufacturers are getting in on the action and have their own projects underway.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that giving up your car keys because of old age can be a seriously emotional move and comes with a heap of negative connotations. Many people believe that this move serves as a forfeit of control and independence. The truth of the matter is that giving up the ability to drive when necessary can not only save the life of the driver, but can help to save other drivers on our roadways. What could be more independent?

Google might be jumping the gun a bit on the driverless-car technology, but auto makers are taking their time tweaking their systems to protect their franchises. It’s still not clear when this kind of technology is going to hit our roadways, but officials say that it’s inevitable.

Regardless, there are some who may never trust the technology. Many are still reluctant to cede control of their vehicles to computers.

Technology developers say this this technology not only has the ability to save lives, but it’s also going to save drivers time and money. These computers are going to be able to react quicker to any road danger than even the best drivers could. They’re going to be locked into traffic grids and are going to be able to help to eliminate traffic congestion, too!

Top 10 Technologies Helping Drivers:

-Smart headlights that are able to adjust their workings to accommodate the traffic around, reduce the glare and work to improve a driver’s vision at night.

-Emergency response systems help to get medical responders to the scene, in the event of a collision or another medical emergency, a whole lot sooner.

-Reversing systems are able to alert a driver about dangers behind their vehicle.

-Blind-spot warnings help drivers to get a better feel about what is in their blind spots.

-Lane-departure systems help to keep drivers in their own lanes.

-Vehicle stability systems help to keep drivers to their intended line of travel, especially in driving situations in which a driver underestimates the angle of a curve or experiences dangerous weather.

-Assisted-parking systems help drivers to park a heck of a lot easier and keeps their vehicles away from others.

-Voice-activated systems help drivers to interact with in-car technologies without ever having to take their eyes off of the road.

-Crash-mitigation systems help to determine when the car might be in danger of an accident and can help to minimize injuries to passengers.

-Drowsy-driving alert systems help to keep an eye on a driver’s action behind the wheel and can help to keep them alert when the technology senses that they might be drowsy.
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Your child may ride in a 15-passenger van to and from their daycare center, church and even a number of other activities. But now, federal law prohibits their use by public school systems. The truth of the matter is they’re still being used to transport kids to other places and we need to make sure that they’re safe!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 15-passenger vans aren’t like smaller passenger vans. These bigger vans have a higher rollover rate under certain conditions. Because of these risks for rollover accidents, it’s important that owners and drivers are paying attention to the maintenance on the van and on the condition of the road. It’s also important that the driver has experience and is knowledgeable in driving these vehicles.

Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys understand that these kinds of rollover accidents are most likely to happen because of tire failure. NHTSA research concludes that these accidents are most commonly the result of underinflated tires. They’re also likely to happen when tires are worn. The owners and the drivers of these vehicles need to be especially diligent in keeping the proper air pressure in these tires and must remain aware of the condition of the tires. They should always be replaced when instructed by the tire manufacturer.

Top Safety Recommendations for 15-Passenger Vans:

-Tire Pressure: Be sure that you check the tire pressure before each time you get behind the wheel. Make sure they’re properly inflated and that the tread on the tires is not worn. When conditions are poor, drivers can easily lose control of the vehicle. It’s also important that you make sure that each tire has the same amount of pressure.

-Spare Tires: Make sure that these tires are also properly inflated. Remember they can weaken with age, even when they’re never used.

-Pay Attention: Drivers should always pay attention and should be well-rested behind the wheel. Keep cell phones out of the driver’s seat, too.

-Don’t Speed: The faster you’re going the higher your risks are for an accident.

-Overloading: Know how much your van can hold and make sure to stay under those limitations. Over-packed vehicles are more prone to rollover accidents.

If you’re planning on driving one of these vans, you don’t have to have a special driver’s license. Only vehicles with 16 or more occupants required a commercial driver’s license (CDL). However, driving these vans is much different than driving an ordinary passenger vehicle. Drivers who are not familiar with driving vans of this size may be unfamiliar with the way the vans handle and how they should be maintained. Drivers are asked to be safe and aware of all of the safety precautions that need to be taken to help to insure that they, and all of their passengers, make it to and from their destination safely!
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Local governments were expecting big payoffs with the red-light cameras in the area.

Unfortunately for them, these devices haven’t met the expectations of officials in West Palm Beach and in Palm Bach County, according to the Palm Beach Post. Not every municipality is sharing in the disappointment, however, as three other county municipalities have made a profit from the same camera company. According to County administrators, the cameras haven’t generated enough income to even cover the fees that are now owed to the camera company, American Traffic Solutions of Arizona.

Our county’s 10 cameras may have generated about $308,000 in revenue, but that’s not going to cover the close to $457,000 bill. It’s not all bad news for county officials though as the contract says that they’re not required to pay back the difference until the cameras make a profit.

“We aren’t making any money off of this process either, because we aren’t generating the citations that were expected,” said County Administrator Bob Weisman.

Our West Palm Beach car accident lawyers understand the debate that’s been revolving around these cameras from the beginning. County officials say that they were installed to help to reduce intersections accidents and not to make a profit. Counter arguments claim the cameras are meant to make a quick buck, with no regards for traffic safety. Still, there’s no profit and the number of accidents at intersections has not really fluctuated because of the eye in the sky. Now, our county owes the Arizona camera company close to $200,000 once the cameras break even. Only one of the city’s intersection red-light cameras was actually able to make a profit since being installed in 2010.

Now, officials in West Palm Beach are taking another look at these cameras and discussing where changes may be needed. One of the possible changes is changing the timing of the yellow light, making it shorter so that more drivers will likely run the light. In turn, this will allow for more citations to be issued, more fines to be paid and more profit for officials.

Juno Beach, Palm Springs and Boynton Beach all made a profit with their cameras this year. And they too are contracted with American Traffic Solutions.

Boynton Beach has 11 red-light cameras. They’ve been able to generate close to $365,000 this year alone. Because they’ve brought in so much money, officials have decided to add five more cameras to some of the city’s busiest intersections.

Juno Beach has 7 cameras and they’ve been able to produce close to $422,000 this year.

Palm Springs has only 4 cameras, but has able to collect close to $200,000 over the last year.

The cameras in Palm Beach County would have to hand out close to 65 tickets each month to cover the fees, the $4,750 fee for each camera. Two of the lights in the county haven’t even come close to hitting that number.
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If you got into a serious car accident, would emergency responders know who to contact? Well, now they might be able to. It’s the Emergency Contact Information (ECI) program through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). It allows drivers to register up to two people who they would want to be contacted in the event of an emergency. This information is only available to emergency responders when needed.

Currently, there are close to 17 million people who hold a driver’s license or an identification card in the state of Florida. Unfortunately, only about 6 million of them have their emergency contact information on file with the department. To get more people in Florida to join, officials are holding “Register Your Emergency Contact Information Week.” It’s going on through the first week of October.

Our Davie car accident lawyers are urging residents to get involved and to get their emergency contact information on file. If you’re not participating in this program, there’s a chance that it could be hours before your loved ones are notified of an accident, like in the case of Tiffany Olson who the program was named after. She was involved in an accident back in 2005 and it took officials six hours to contact her mother because this information was not readily available. Following the accident, Tiffany’s mother, Christine, and State Representative Bill Galvano worked to create this database.

Unfortunately, not every car accident is a fender bender. There are times in which these accidents leave a motorist incapacitated and unable to help emergency personnel contact family. That’s where the program comes in. It takes a lot of the guess work out of determining who needs to know about your condition.

It’s such a beneficial program that it has been nationally recognized. We were the first state to put this kind of system in place, although many other states have since follwed. Back in March of 2009, the program was recognized as one of the 50 most innovative government programs.

If you would like to join the program and register your information, all you have to do is visit a driver’s license office. You can also do it online.

“Our troopers and other law enforcement agencies handle more than 200,000 crashes per year. A portion of those involve fatalities and serious injuries,” says Julie L. Jones with the DHSMV.

In 2010, there was an average of 650 car accidents in the state of Florida each and every day. In these accidents, there were close to 2,500 people who died. That’s the families of 2,500 people who needed to be contacted after the accident. There were also more than 195,000 people who were injured, some of them seriously injured. Make sure officers and other emergency responders know who you would want contacted in the event of a serious accident. Register your information today!
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