Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Police in Florida maintain numerous critical functions, among those: Crime reduction and traffic safety.

In some cases, the two overlap. But should one take priority?

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio is making headlines for his assertion that, indeed, improving traffic safety should be where the most police resources are spent. His ambitious initiative to eliminate traffic deaths in the city has drawn praise – and a fair amount of criticism.

But as veteranwrongful death attorneyswe see those whose lives are forever changed by road violence. In that light, de Blasio’s plan makes perfect sense.
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If you knew that applying a thicker layer of mascara could kill you, would you do it? If you had an inkling that turning around to talk to your child could result in lifelong injuries for both of you, would you take the chance? What if unwrapping that sandwich meant you’d spend the next several months eating through a tube?

These may sound like extreme examples, but the reality is that distracted driving is a major cause of crashes. Removing your eyes from the road for any length of time is a risk, but there is evidence that we’ve managed to downplay the significance of it.

A recent insurance-industry article published in Insurance Business America indicates that many distracted driving offenses that result in crashes are lumped into “careless driving” charges. That is, the officer may be able to show that the offending driver drifted left of center or made an illegal turn or ran a red light. However, proving that they were texting or eating or scolding their children is much tougher.

As we enter the height of Southwest Florida’s tourist season, let’s all keep our attention focused on the road.
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Eight people suffered injuries recently in a Fort Myers rollover crash involving a sport utility vehicle and a passenger van.

According to news reports, the 25-year-old driver of the van was traveling west on Daniels Parkway when, for reasons unknown, he crossed over several lanes of traffic and the concrete median and then into the opposite lane.

As a result, a van struck the driver’s side of a Chevy Tahoe SUV, causing the Tahoe to flip over onto the grassy shoulder before slamming into a nearby tree. The 30-year-old driver of the SUV was seriously injured, while his 26-year-old female passenger suffered minor injuries.An infant in the vehicle did not suffer injuries.
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Prom is supposed to be one of the most memorable events of a teenager’s life. But prom night all too often ends in tragedy, with an estimated 500 students dying in alcohol-related traffic accidents during graduation season each year in the U.S.

And apart from the dangers of alcohol, there are always prom dates, friends and cellphones to distract the typical teen driver from keeping their eyes safely on the road.

Our Fort Myers personal injury attorneys have long supported efforts to promote safe teen driving. We encourage parents and students to start thinking today of strategies that will make the upcoming prom season safe in addition to joyous.
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There is a common misperception that there is a rush to the courthouse by those involved in motor vehicle accidents.

But a landmark study has concluded that just the opposite is true. University researchers have discovered that most victims of auto accidents don’t sue – even though they commonly suffer chronic neck pain long after the crash.

Our veteranFort Myers personal injury attorneys represent those injured in automobile accidents fight for the compensation they deserve.
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We’re all guilty of distracted driving from time to time.

What you might not be aware of is that car insurance companies know the risks associated with each distracted driving habit and are pricing their policies accordingly. Bruce Hamilton, AAA’s research manager, says testing revealed that some in-vehicle distractions have little impact on a driver’s ability to focus on the road, while others present a bigger danger.

Our car accident lawyers in Fort Myers know some drivers can handle distractions better than others. Still, no one should take part. According to NPR, teen drivers are much more dangerous when multitasking behind the wheel. Older, more experienced drivers are better able to handle the risks associated, although not recommended. Recent studies illustrate that new drivers tend to keep their hands on the wheel, their eyes on the road and engage in virtually no distractions. But after 6 months of driving experience, many of them start to feel a little too comfortable behind the wheel and engage in distractions more than drivers in any other age group.
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Emergency responders and law enforcement officers devote their time and effort to helping our community and our families, and now officials with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) are asking you to do the same.

Since 1999, there have been more than 200 law enforcement officers in the U.S. who were killed and thousands more injured in traffic collisions when struck by a passing motorist while stopped on the side of the road, doing their job. Throughout January, officials with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) will be targeting enforcement efforts to make sure that drivers in the state of Florida are aware of and abide by the state’s Move Over Law. This law was designed to help protect these individuals, emergency workers, law enforcement officers and tow truck drivers who are stopped along the side of the road doing their job.

Our car accident attorneys in Fort Myers know when approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing, parked on the side of a multi-lane road, you are required by law to move over by changing lanes away from the emergency vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. Motorists are required to leave the lane that is closest to that vehicle empty, to help prevent a collision involving the emergency vehicle or other workers who are performing their jobs in the area. Unfortunately, there are many drivers who do not follow this law — and put the lives of roadside workers in danger.
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Words matter, and the word “accident” is not the right one to describe a car crash, according to a recent article on DC Streets Blog. By referring to a car crash as an “accident,” the phrasing creates the implication that no one was to blame for the collision. The reality, however, is that car accidents don’t just occur at random. Someone almost always makes a bad decision, breaks a safety rule or takes an unnecessary risk before the wreck occurs. The collision, therefore, is not an accident but is the direct result of the decision made by one or more of the drivers.

An injury attorney in Fort Myers knows that determining fault in traffic collisions is crucial because the driver who is at fault or who made the decision that led to the accident is held legally liable and can be required to pay damages to victims. Even if a collision is referred to as an “accident,” the law says that the person who caused it is culpable. Since the law recognizes that accidents have causes, and since the use of words can shape public opinion on an issue, discussing an end to the use of the term “accident,” is a worthwhile cause.
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In a first-of-its-kind study, Monash University researchers have found children are 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a mobile phone while at the wheel. According to the study, parents typically take their eyes off the road for about 3 minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute car trip — time spent tending to children instead of focusing on the road.

The Australian study looked at the driving habits of 12 families by installing cameras into their vehicles. All families had children between 5 and 8. Of the 92 car trips that were observed, researchers found that parents engaged in child-related distractions in 90 of the trips. The researchers then reviewed all video for potentially distracting driver behaviors where the driver took their eyes off the road. Researchers found that parents were much more likely to engage in distractions involving their children than distractions involving cell phones.

Our Cape Coral car accident lawyers understand the holidays are a busy time for family travel – so take notice of these risks and do your part to keep you and your family safe. Whether crying infants on the morning commute, fighting teenagers or other factors, the risks are real. The truth of the matter is that distracted driving is thought to be the cause of 80 percent of all crashes. Officials with AAA found that children are about four times as distracting to drivers as adult passengers, while babies make it eight times harder to concentrate. When a child needs attention a mothers’ instincts are to turn round and deal with the child. But you can’t take your eyes off the road for a moment because losing concentration, even for a couple of seconds, can be deadly.
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The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety will soon be released. This is the study that tells us exactly what is going on in the minds of drivers behind the wheel — both the good and the bad.

While we await this release, safe driving advocates with AAA and with other organizations across the country are working diligently to help raise awareness about some of the most dangerous driving habits on our roadways — impaired, distracted and drowsy driving.

Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys understand that officials most recently addressed distracted driving. In the AAA study “Distracted Driving and Perceptions of Hands-Free Technologies“, we found drivers understand the risks of this dangerous driving behavior, but many are not willing to make the changes in their own driving habits to help ensure safety on our roadways. Although close to 90 percent of U.S. drivers who were surveyed said that driving while distracted is a serious threat, about 70 percent admit to doing it themselves. It’s the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality. Still, we continue to lose thousands of lives from this preventable tragedy each and every year.
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