Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog

Our Palm City car accident attorneys have been discussing the dangers that motorists typically face on our roadways throughout the holiday season.

With Thanksgiving here and Christmas approaching, traffic is expected to increase significantly. To help keep our roadways safe, the Florida Highway Patrol will be in full force in search of dangerous drivers on our roadways.

Hunting down irresponsible should no tough task for officials in Florida however. According to CarInsuranceComparison.com, Florida ranked in at 4th place for having the most dangerous drivers in the U.S. The Sunshine State handed out more traffic citations that any other state in the country.

Our Palm City car accident attorneys understand that the end of the year is a busy time for Florida roadways. Drivers are asked to be courteous and patient with one another while driving.

All officers from the Florida Highway Patrol will be out over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in an attempt to calm traffic and to reduce the risks for traffic accidents. Both auxiliary and reserve troopers will be helping to augment the Patrol during this time. This enforcement campaign will be taking place from November 23rd through the 27th. Enforcement efforts will be targeting speeders, tailgating, impaired drivers, aggressive drivers and those who aren’t properly buckled in.

Florida drivers also ranked in at 49th place for careless driving habits and in 40th place for failing to obey traffic signals. All of these dangerous habits contribute to the high number of traffic fatalities in the state. With a little bit of patience, we can all help to reduce the number of these fatalities.

“The Thanksgiving holiday typically generates heavy traffic as people travel to spend time with their families, so we urge everyone driving on our highways, especially during the holiday season, to drive carefully,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol.

To help make your holiday travel a little safer, the Florida Highway Patrol offers these safety tips to travelers:

-Be sure to obey all traffic signs and posted speed limits.

-Check out your vehicle before heading out. Make sure your battery is charged, your fluids are full and your tires are in good condition and are properly inflated.

-Never drink and drive.

-Always wear a seat belt. Make sure that everyone in the vehicle is buckled at all times.

-Leave for your trip with plenty of time to spare to avoid rushing.

-Keep your focus on the road at all times. Curb distractions, including text messaging, cell phones, eating, talking with passengers, playing with the radio, etc.

-Drive defensively and expect the unexpected.

Remember that the Florida Highway Patrol will be looking over our roadways over the weekend. Be safe, cautious and alert to not only avoid a ticket, but to avoid a potential accident as well.
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According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a recent three-car accident in Fort Pierce that killed one woman and injured another man. The accident happened just before midnight on Kings Highway, according to News Channel 5. Reports indicate that the male driver was under the influence of alcohol and the time of the accident. He reportedly rear-ended a truck and sent it flying into oncoming traffic. That vehicle then ran head on into another vehicle.

Upon the head-on collision, the truck flipped and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. The female, whose vehicle was rear-ended in the accident, died at the scene of the accident. The other driver was transported to the hospital at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute. Reports indicate the female driver was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the accident.

Our Fort Pierce car accident attorneys understand that there will typically be more serious accidents like this as we come to the end of the year. Each year, the holiday season brings an abundance of drivers to our state. We’ve got seasonal residents and tourists on our roadways in addition to residents. These visitors greatly congest our roadways and greatly increase our risks for accidents. Drivers are urged to be cautious, focused and patient to help avoid a potentially fatal accident.

Another serious accident happened just before 11 a.m. as a pickup truck flipped in the middle of the intersection at Sunrise Boulevard and Virginia Avenue. The pickup truck flipped after colliding with another vehicle at that intersection. Fort Pierce police report that responders had to pull the female driver from the truck, but she was OK.

Floridians share the roadways with more than 75 million tourists each year. Through the entire state students, retirees and families travel to explore and to enjoy some beautiful weather. Florida is the number one destination spot for Americans and it’s the second most popular vacation spot for foreigners.

Many of these travelers fail to plan for this trip’s travel accordingly and drive erratically throughout our roadways. These unfamiliar drivers serve as serious hazards to everyone on our roadways.

Florida reportedly experiences more than a quarter of a million car accidents every year, which ranks our state at above-average for injury and deadly car accidents every year. The number of accidents typically correlates with tourism season.

According to the Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were nearly 2,500 car accident fatalities in the state in 2010. Road accidents can be avoided with preparation. Drivers are urged to travel with a plan. Be cautious and alert while traveling and curb distractions. Be patient with the out of town drivers and expect the unexpected. Floridians need to alter their driving habits to accommodate these unfamiliar drivers and to ensure safety on our roadways.
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The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of our most dangerous times of our roadways. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 430 people are expected to die in car accidents in Cooper City and elsewhere over a more than four-day period surrounding Thanksgiving Day.

The NSC is also predicting that nearly 44,000 injuries requiring professional medical attention will occur because of traffic crashes during this time. Although these predictions are nearly 20 percent lower than the actual results of previous Thanksgivings, we ask all motorists to be cautious, alert and prepared on our roadways when traveling over the weekend.

Our Cooper City car accident attorneys understand that roughly 43 million American are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their home over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. This is about 5 percent more travelers than the 2010 holiday. Many of these vacationers include snowbirds and tourists who will flock to our Florida sunshine. Drivers beware; your risks for a traffic accident will be significantly increased during the holiday weekend.

The Thanksgiving holiday is the time period from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23rd to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 27th. About 2 million more travelers are expected to be on our roadways this year, according to CNN.

Travel experts believe that this increase in travel is because of the gas prices. We’ve typically seen higher gas prices this year compared to recent years, which have caused residents to stick around town for other holidays. Well, residents are sick of it.

This year’s average gallon of gas costs $3.39. Last year’s average was about $2.88. Earlier in the year, Memorial Day travel remained relatively similar to last year’s travel numbers, whereas Independence Day and Labor Day’s travel actually decreased. Experts believe that residents are tossing out their concerns for finances over the upcoming holiday weekend and are hitting the road for a much needed vacation over Turkey Day.

“Driving AAA’s projected increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers is pent-up demand from Americans who may have foregone holiday travel the last three years,” said Bill Sutherland, vice president of AAA Travel Services.

Most vacationers will be hitting the roadway over the holiday weekend. Airlines aren’t sure how their companies will do over Thanksgiving. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is expecting a 2 percent increase whereas the Air Transport Association of America is predicting a 2 percent decrease in travel from 2010 to 2011.

Drivers are urged to travel safely and cautiously during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Florida typically experiences more traffic during this time of year with the seasonal residents and with vacationing tourists, but traffic during Thanksgiving increases even more.

From our Cooper City car accident attorneys to your family, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
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Car accidents in Weston and elsewhere are the number one killer of teens in the United States. With the holiday season approaching, teens are at an even higher risk for a fatal accident, but with parents’ help, we can try to reduce these risks. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, teen drivers are at the greatest risk of an accident during their first year behind the wheel. During this time, one out of every five will be involved in a car accident. More than 300 teens died in Florida in car accidents in 2007.

The “Drive with Care – Courtesy, Attention, Responsibility and Experience” campaign is reaching out to young drivers and their parents to discuss the dangers of driving and to help keep our roadways safer. As seasonal residents venture south and vacationers flock to the beach, teens are facing congested roadways and serious risks for accidents. Parents are urged to discuss these dangers and safe-driving tips to keep them safe.

Our Weston car accident lawyers understand that Florida law requires that parents provide their teen drivers with at least 50 hours of supervised driving before they can apply for an operator’s license. Ten of these hours must be completed at night. During this time, parents are asked to serve as a positive role model and coach. Teens are likely to mimic their parents’ habits on the roadways. Parents are urged to get involved in their young driver’s habits, especially during the holiday season when roadways traffic is expected to increase significantly.

Teen drivers are less likely than adult drivers to be able to understand the risks and dangers of driving. This is because they’ve been behind the wheel for such a short amount of time and they’ve been exposed to much less driving hazards. Teens’ brains are still developing well into their 20s. This development affects their judgment while driving.

Drivers age 16 and 17 are nearly 50 percent more likely to be involved in an accident if there’s another passenger in the vehicle. These drivers also face increased risks for accidents between 9 p.m. and midnight. Although our teen drivers make up only about 6 percent of Florida’s driving population, they account for nearly 15 percent of all fatal accidents.

Safety tips for teens from the Florida Driver Handbook:

-Always wear a seat belt. It may be your best defense in the event of an accident.

-Make sure your mirrors are properly adjusted before starting your car.

-Always drive with your lights on for added safety.

-Be sure to come to a complete stop at all red lights and stop signs. Slow down before stopping to avoid having to slam on the brakes.

-Never tailgate. Keep a distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

-Be sure to look all around before moving forward from a stop.

-Don’t rely on mirrors when backing up or making a turn.

-Stay at least 15 feet away from all trucks. Remember that if you can’t see the truck’s side-view mirror, the driver probably can’t see you.

-Never drive faster than the posted speed limit. Your risks of serious injury or death doubles for every 10 mph you travel over 50 mph.

Parents are urged to discuss these pointers with teen drivers to help to prevent a car accident in Weston and elsewhere in South Florida.
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With Thanksgiving coming up this week, the holiday season is in full swing and 2012 is approaching quickly. During the holiday season, we typically see a drastic increase in the number of car accidents in Cooper City and elsewhere. With the Thanksgiving holiday, nearly 40 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home. About 90 percent of these travelers will be on our roadways. During the 2008 Thanksgiving holiday period, nearly 400 motorists died because of car accidents. Thousands more were injured.

Our Cooper City car accident attorneys understand that driver distractions are a top cause for vehicle accidents. Some motorists all too often engage in dangerous activities, such as placing calls, taking calls and text messaging while driving. These behaviors drastically increase the risks for accidents.

To help cut down on the number of accidents, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is pushing the “Faces of Distracted Driving” campaign, which offers stories from those who have been tragically affected by these types of accidents. Many residents lose family members because of careless drivers.

A recent story featured the family of a 19-year-old girl and her unborn child, both of whom were killed in a pedestrian-car accident in Naples with a distracted driver. The accident happened in 2010 when a cell phone-using driver rolled through a stop sign and hit the girl who was crossing the street not far from her home.

These public service announcements have been viewed by people across the country more than 100,000 times since the campaign launched in November 2010. The campaign aims to shine a light on just how dangerous this behavior is, and to let viewers know that these accidents are happening every day around the country.

“I thank all of the families of distracted-driving victims who have bravely chosen to share their stories of loss with the world,” LaHood said.

About 5,500 people lost their lives in distracted driving-related car accidents in 2009. These types of accidents accounted for about 20 percent of all accidents reported during the year. Nearly 1,000 of these fatalities were the result of an accident in which a cell phone was reported as the distraction. Nearly half a million drivers were injured in these accidents.

Many people don’t think that talking on a cell phone or sending a text message while driving isn’t all that difficult or distracting, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Drivers who use a cell phone behind the wheel are four times more likely to get into an accident. This dangerous act gives drivers the same reaction capabilities as a driver who is legally drunk.

As we head into the holiday season and traffic picks up, we urge all drivers to curb the distractions and focus on driving.
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One average, four people die in car accidents in Hollywood and elsewhere every hour of every day. The financial impact of a car accident can be just as devastating. According to a CBS News report, car accidents cost the country about $300 billion every year. That cost is now higher than the cost of traffic congestion.

Our Hollywood car accident attorneys understand that car accidents can be costly. The average fatal car accident costs around $6 million. This cost includes all of the medical expenses, legal costs, emergency services, lost earnings, etc. The cost for an average car accident causing injury is about $125,000, and some 33,000 people die on our nation’s roadways every year.

“Traffic crashes really need to be moved to the forefront of the American discussion as the public safety (and) health threat that they are,” said AAA spokesman Troy Green.

Unfortunately, car accidents are so common that these incidents don’t even make it in the news anymore. Consider it this way: a small plane would have to fall out of the sky every day for 360 days in a row to equal the costs we pay out for car accidents. That would be unacceptable for aviation and it should be just as unacceptable for car accidents.

The fact that the cost of car accidents has surpassed the cost of traffic congestion is astonishing. Traffic congestion losses include the loss of motorists’ time and gas wasted while idling in traffic.

A recent study concluded that the cost of accidents is roughly three times greater than traffic congestion, about $300 billion to nearly $100 billion. This is largely due to the increase in the costs of accidents in recent years. The most significant increase was experienced between just 2005 and 2011.

Officials recommend the following to help reduce the risks of accidents:

-Consider new safety technology like electronic stability control (ESC). This technology helps to keep a vehicle stable during skids by automatically braking when necessary. Some estimates conclude that this technology could save nearly 10,000 lives a year.

-Continue the development of short-range radar sensors. These sensors have the ability to warn a driver when he or she may be about to get into an accident. This system can also activate seat restraints and the vehicle’s airbags.

-Continue to enforce distracted driving, drunk driving and speeding laws. Right now, only 35 states have laws banning text messaging behind the wheel. Florida is not one of these states.

According to Green, every state needs stricter laws, tougher enforcement and harsher penalties.

Right now, AAA is pushing a multi-year, long-term, nationwide transportation bill that focuses on roadways safety. According to AAA, this bill could save both lives and money. AAA is aiming to get the focus off of congestion issues and to get Congress to focus more on the serious and fatal accidents on our roadways.
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Safety advocates around the country are still trying to get drivers off their cell phones in an effort to reduce the risks of distracted driving-related car accidents in Sunrise and elsewhere. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council are pushing for safer roadways, too. The two organizations recently teamed up with state attorneys general to create and share a number of public service announcements (PSA) as a part of its “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” campaign.

These PSAs are aimed at teen drivers, who typically have a higher accident rate than any other age group of drivers. The PSAs are being used to educate young drivers and to share with them the very real consequences of using a mobile phone behind the wheel, whether making calls or sending text messages.

Our Sunrise car accident attorneys understand how dangerous it is to text message while driving. Florida is still one of the few states that has absolutely no law in place banning drivers from text messaging. According to distraction.gov, distracted drivers caused accidents that killed nearly 5,500 people and injured an additional 448,000 in 2009. People who use a cell phone while driving are four times as likely to be involved in a serious accident.

The first PSA video shows a girl reaching for her phone as she heads through an intersection. Because of the distraction, she fails to see the stop sign and gets into an accident.

The other two PSAs show pedestrians who are walking and texting. While the scene is humorous for viewers, it illustrates a very real danger. Pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings just as much as drivers do. The end of the video shows teens texting behind the wheel and the dangers they face when distracted.

Both of the PSAs ask viewers, “How will you stop texting and driving?” At the end of the video, you’ll be sent to Stoptextsstopwrecks.org for even more information about the dangerous habit.

Teens are about four times as likely to be involved in a car accident as drivers of any other age group. When you add in the texting distraction, their risks skyrocket to nearly 25 times more likely to be involved in an accident.

Parents are urged to talk with the teen drivers in their lives. It’s important for teens to understand the risks that come with using a cell phone behind the wheel. Keep safe driving habits as a frequent topic of conversation in the household. Although the state of Florida doesn’t prohibit teen drivers from texting behind the wheel, it doesn’t mean that parents can’t enforce their very own distracted driving rules with the drivers in their family.
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According to Dr. Val Jones on Better Health, driving in the dark is a lot more difficult for some drivers than others. As she interviews optometrist Dr. Cristina Schnider, she discovers that the size of your pupil and your ability to focus directly correlates with available light. When it’s dark outside, you have less to focus on and your eyes work overtime. Many drivers have a slight sight disability as they have a tougher time focusing on things. This can be extremely detrimental and can greatly increase their risks of a nighttime car accident in Oakland Park.

Our Oakland Park pedestrian accident lawyers recently discussed the dangers that nighttime driving brings about. These dangers are increased now that we’ve set our clocks back for Daylight Saving Time. Evenings fall upon us sooner as the sun sets earlier. Oftentimes it takes a while for travelers to adjust to the new settings. We are reminding everyone to be cautious on our roadways during the early morning hours and the evening hours as this is when we see a majority of our traffic accidents.

Drivers are urged to remember a few things to help keep their vision on point when driving a motor vehicle. Remember to blink. People will oftentimes hesitate to blink when they’re focusing on something. It’s also important to keep the wind at bay. Open windows and blasting air conditioning can dry out a person’s eyes and can make it more difficult for them to see, according to Schnider. Drivers are urged to compensate for the lack or light or the difficulty focusing by slowing down. It typically takes drivers longer to react to things at night.

John Ulczycki from the National Safety Council says that nighttime driving negatively affects a driver’s eyes. Peripheral vision and the ability to determine contrast are hindered. These factors vary depending on a driver’s visual ability and age. No matter what your age though, drivers fail to see potential risks more so in the evening than they do in daylight.

Ulczycki reports that nearly 30 percent of travel occurs during hours of darkness and nearly 50 percent of fatal accidents occur during the nighttime hours. Not only does vision affect these statistics, but so does our perception of risk. Since it’s harder to see other people and other vehicles, people fail to see risks.

Glare on windshields is also a common complaint from nighttime drivers. There is a way to reduce the effects of this glare, says Ulczycki. He says it’s important to not look directly into that glare from the headlight of an oncoming car, but to look above it. He also says you should be scanning the roadways anyways instead of looking only in one spot. You need to be aware of what is around you at all times.

Remember that nighttime hours bring out more alcohol-impaired drivers, too. Be cautious of the driving skills of motorists around you. Always drive defensively.

As for younger drivers, the per-mile crash rate for teen drivers is three times higher after 9 p.m. than the rate of any other age group. Talk with your teens and other loved ones about the dangers and risks of driving while dark and perhaps we can all help reduce the number of traffic accidents in South Florida.
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