Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Light drizzle, heavy downpours, and thunderstorms can cloud your vision and create dangerous road conditions that cause motor vehicle accidents. This rainy season in South Florida, it is important to use caution to prevent accidents and injury.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are approximately 7,000 Americans who die in accidents caused by inclement weather every year. The administration qualifies a “weather-related crash” as any accident that occurs in a dangerous weather condition such as rain, sleet, fog, or snow. Any of these conditions can also cause slick pavement that can make it difficult to stop or cause a vehicle to careen off the road.
Summer weather patterns can create a number of hazards for drivers, their passengers, and other motorists. Whether you are making a daily commute or taking an extended road trip with your family, it is important to consider the risks posed by inclement weather. Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys are experienced in the investigation of accidents caused by negligence, as well as those involving adverse weather conditions.
While tornados, hurricanes, snow storms and power outages can cause death, many believe that awareness should be raised surrounding weather-related car accidents. When getting behind the wheel this summer, remember that the risk of dangerous weather is high. To prevent an accident, you can take preventative action. Make sure your headlights are on. You could also pull over or opt to ride out a storm all together or stay at home. Pay particular attention to blinding afternoon rain storms. Watch for flooding and beware lightning strikes!
While drivers can take preventative action, government agencies and private enterprises are also exploring new technology to help disseminate weather information more quickly, to help warn drivers and keep them off the roads. Researchers believe informing drivers of potentially dangerous weather conditions, including fog, snow, rain, fires, and whiteouts, will reduce the number of such accidents that occur through the long summer travel months. The technology gives cars ahead on the road the ability to communicate with other drivers, including those who are 20 miles behind on the highway.
Additional risks are posed when drivers are speeding or fail to take notice of the dangerous conditions. When driving in adverse weather conditions, it is especially important not to use a cell phone or engage in other distracting activities like eating or changing the radio station. Any distractions can reduce your reaction time and leave you unable to defend yourself against oncoming traffic, braking vehicles or road debris. Parents should advise new teen drivers of the potential risks of dangerous weather when they hit the road this summer.
Most deaths are caused by single or two-car accidents. While these smaller accidents are not necessarily “news-worthy” they do make up the majority of accidents and should raise concern for motorists. Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions over a median, and other single or two-car accidents are just as dangerous as multi-car pile ups or truck accidents. This rainy season, Florida motorists should take precaution to avoid accidents. Remember the dangers of inclement weather and if possible, stay home during a storm.
If you or a family member has been injured in a car accident, call Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez— 1-800-561-7777 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
South Florida Teens at Risk of Traffic Collisions Through Graduation, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, May 9, 2013
Unrested Drivers Causing Car Accidents in Deerfield Beach and Elsewhere Despite New Technology, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, March 20, 2012