Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Federal government officials said they will recommend that new cars have rearview video systems, a move immediately denounced as “insufficient” by safety groups who say the cameras should be mandatory. Instead, the government will merely add rearview video systems to its list of recommended features under its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Their aim here is to help to reduce the risks of backover accidents.

But who’s taking responsibility? First, the NHTSA was set to mandate these cameras for all vehicles and then backpedaled and left it too manufacturers to get it done. You won’t find that in the government press release, which frames the move as a safety improvement.

Our Fort Myers car accident lawyers understand that rearview cameras could save thousands of lives each and every year. The system would add about $100 to the cost of a new vehicle. You’d be surprised by the number of children who are backed over in parking lots and the number of pedestrians who are struck by reversing vehicles in parking lots. And this technology is especially important with the upcoming holidays, when children are out of school and consumers are hitting malls and department stores in droves.
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Being pregnant, or a new mother, can be exhausting — especially when it comes to protecting your child. Women are oftentimes bombarded with information about what is good or bad for their baby.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that there are well over 6,000 adults who are injured in car accidents each and every day in the U.S. And the risk for death in these events can be cut in half by simply wearing a seat belt. Although the national seat belt usage rate is on the rise, about 1 out of 7 adults don’t buckle up during every car ride. And this is even worse when one of these unbuckled individuals is pregnant.

Our Cape Coral car accident lawyers understand that car accidents are responsible for most injuries requiring hospitalization during a woman’s pregnancy. On the other hand, very little is known about the relationship between auto accidents and specific fetal outcomes. Research continues to show that the best way to protect your growing baby is to protect yourself: Wear a properly positioned safety belt each and every time you’re in a vehicle. And you’ve got to make sure that it’s properly fastened.
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The battle against text-messaging drivers is proving difficult. Experts say that it’s our technology that is reprogramming us. According to The Boston Globe, a recent study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute proved that drivers who text message behind the wheel are about twice as likely to get into an accident as those who are focused on their surroundings.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that about a third of American adults have sent text messages or emailed while driving at least once in the last 30 days. Consider that when we tell you that roughly 90 percent of drivers think that it should be illegal to engage in these behaviors behind the wheel.

Our Fort Myers car accident lawyers understand that there were close to 215,000 traffic accidents recorded in the U.S. in 2011 that involved text-messaging drivers. That’s compared to about 115,000 recorded the year before. It’s clear that this is a problem that’s getting worse. And Florida’s new anti-text messaging law is working to fix that, but is it working?

And there is mounting evidence that using a phone while driving is a bonafide bad habit that must be combated like other addictions. The same study found we look at our smartphones an average of 60 times a day — often prompted by certain cues, like sitting down at our desks or getting into the car.
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Officials with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have unveiled a new rating system to test how well these front crash prevention systems work. This new test has been designed to help car buyers determine which features they should consider when purchasing a vehicle, and also for car manufacturers to step up their safety game when designing and creating new vehicles.

The new rating system comes as a result of recent research from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). That research indicated that automatic braking systems and forward collision warning are helping drivers avoid front-to-rear crashes. With each and every year, we’re seeing newer and better crash avoidance systems to help keep motorists safe behind the wheel. We just need to make sure that these systems are working to their full potential.

Our Naples car accident attorneys understand that braking is one of the most important factors in avoiding an accident. In these tests, vehicles that received an advanced rating had an autobrake system that allowed them to avoid accidents or reduce speeds by at least 5 miles per hour in at least one out of two different driving tests. Vehicles can either receive a basic, advanced or superior rating. Vehicles were tested at both 12 and 25 miles per hour.
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Officials continue to spread the word about Florida’s new texting ban, which took effect Oct. 1.

Drivers in the state of Florida are no longer allowed to text message while driving. According to the Naples Daily News, law enforcement officers in the state are now allowed to ticket text messaging drivers if they’re pulled over for other infractions, like speeding or not wearing a seat belt. And it’s not just text messaging. Officers are also allowed to cite for emailing and other wireless forms of written communication.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Sgt. Chris Gonzalez says that this is going to help cut down on “rampant” texting while driving.

Our Naples car accident lawyers understand that the law also gives law enforcement officers the power to obtain a driver’s phone and messaging records in the event that an accident leads to injury or death. However, the law still allows drivers to use text-to-talk technology, GPS usage and to use the phone to report criminal behavior. The ban also allows texting while stopped, such as at red lights.

Deputy Bil Joseph with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says that drivers should mount their phones on their dashboard if they want to use the GPS. He also says that bluetooth is a safer (and legal) option for those still trying to communicate while driving. If you’ve got to compose a text message, they recommending pulling over, coming to a complete stop and doing so safely (and legally).

Advocates for the new law are already trying to beef it up, and are pushing for it to be made a primary offense.

Sen. Maria Sachs of Delray Beach has already scheduled a press conference to announce the filing of a new bill. She’s looking to make this a primary offense to give drivers a real reason to put down the phone and text messaging device in the driver’s seat. She’s also looking to increase the consequences for violations. As of now, drivers will only get a $30 fine for a first-time offense and a $60 fine and points on their license for a second offense.

While the measure has faced criticism for being too weak, state lawmakers and the Florida Highway Patrol say the important thing is to simply have such a rule on the books.

In Florida from 2010 through 2011, at least 85 crashes caused by distracted drivers turned fatal, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The state has more than 120,000 miles of roads used by more than 15 million licensed drivers. You can do the math there. When drivers aren’t paying attention to the road and their surroundings, accidents result.

As a matter of fact, drivers are about 25 times more likely to get into an accident when text messaging behind the wheel.

Do the right thing and stay safe in the driver’s seat. It can help you to avoid a citation and points on your license. But more importantly it may help you avoid a potentially fatal accident.
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Distracted driving has been a top concern among safe driving advocates in recent years, as it’s becoming more prominent on roadways across the nation. According to USA TODAY, distracted driving was the signature initiative of former U.S. Transportation secretary Ray LaHood, whose national push led one state after another to enact bans on texting while driving.

Now, Congress is hopping on board. In the national transportation bill that it was able to pass last year, officials freed up grants to help states to enact more laws to stop drivers from text messaging behind the wheel. Close to 40 states applied for the funding. Unfortunately, only seven states were gifted with grants.

Our Fort Myers car accident lawyers know October 1 marked the date Florida became the 41st state to ban text messaging while driving for all motorists. Unfortunately, it’s only a secondary law, which means that a driver has to be witnessed committing another violation before being pulled over and cited for text messaging while driving.

But at least it’s a step in the right direction.
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Driving throughout the state can get frustrating at times. We’re a popular tourist destination for millions each and every year and the traffic is enough to drive some of us crazy. But do you have the cool to keep calm behind the wheel? Gulf News is turning the questions inward and asking drivers to take a look at themselves — to see if they’re susceptible to road rage, which is a dangerous criminal offense that’s oftentimes tied to driving.

“The sad part about road rage is that even if you do not act on your anger, it can still do you damage. Even if you start to feel frustrated over the situation on the road, it will have a negative impact on your health.” said Nazanin Sadegh Pour, psychologist at the Human Relations Institute in Dubai.

Our Lehigh Acres car accident lawyers understand that many people have displayed aggressive driving tendencies at some point in their life. But what defines road rage is when every small incident of poor driving by others leads to a screaming sound in your head. It’s important to remember that road rage differs from aggressive driving. It is a criminal offense and is “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or is caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”
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A recent church van accident in Lee County claimed three lives and injuring 12 others. According CBS Miami, the van was loaded with people from Fort Lauderdale when the accident happened on Interstate 75.

If your church or ministry uses 15-passenger vans, you should be aware of multiple advisory warnings on their use issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This should also be an eye-opener for those who may be using a passenger van to get to and from school or school-related activities. According to SaferCar.gov, there are currently 29 states that have laws or regulations in place that prohibit the use of vans for transporting public school students. The state of Florida does not allow this form of transportation for school children, but that doesn’t mean they are not in regular use. Unfortunately, these laws and regulations do not apply to private schools, churches, community centers or companies that contract directly with parents.

Our Fort Myers accident attorneys note that the NHTSA reports that 15-passenger vans that are fully loaded have a rollover risk 6 times greater than one with fewer occupants. It’s not your fault for packing a van with the allowable number of passengers, but it’s the van’s fault and its manufacturer’s fault for releasing a van that’s not able to live up to its expectations.

In other cases, faulty or worn tires or maintenance issues have contributed to serious or fatal 15-passenger van accidents.
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The Allstate Insurance Company recently released its 9th annual “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report.” In this report, officials looked at claim data and ranked the nation’s 200 largest cities in terms of their driving safety.

Once again, this year’s city receiving the “America’s Safest Driving City” award was Fort Collins, Colorado. This was the 3rd time that this city earned the top spot. Fort Collins has places in the top 10 each and every year since the list began.

Our Cape Coral car accident lawyers note the Cape made it onto the Allstate report as the 40th safest city in the nation. We were ranked as the 147 largest city in the nation. In Cape Coral, drivers can typically expect close to 11 years between car accidents. We’re actually close to 6 percent less likely to get into an accident that the nation’s overall average.
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An 18-year-old Fort Myers driver lost his life on U.S. 17 when his sport-utility vehicle flipped after striking a curb.

The driver, a recent graduate of Cypress Lake High School and freshman student at Florida Gulf Coast University, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation. While speed is suspected to have been a possible factor, our Fort Myers car accident lawyers also point to the rollover risk of many SUVs.
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