Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Green means go and red means stop.

Most school-aged children know this, yet far too many drivers seem to “forget.” The truth of the matter is that you put yourself at serious risk for a severe car accident when you blow through a red light. Or one that’s yellow or about to turn red. Anything but solid green should be your warning.

To help to get drivers to stop on red, officials with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) are pushing enforcement this August. Troopers and officers from around the state will be on the lookout for drivers who aren’t stopping at red lights and who are putting other innocent drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists at risk for a potentially fatal accident.

“Troopers will take the appropriate enforcement action on those drivers who place themselves and others in danger by running red lights,” said Col. David Brierton, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Director.

Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys understand that intersection accidents often result in serious or fatal injuries. We might not be currently dealing with the rush of snowbird traffic, but it’s no time to take our focus off safety. Remember that road laws and traffic devices weren’t created to be a nuisance or an inconvenience to you. They’re there to help to make your trip a little safer.

To help to get you in the right mindset, FHP officers offer your these simple red-light safety tips:

-Remember that intersections are some of the most dangerous areas on our roadways. Approach with caution regardless of what color your traffic light.

-Look at your surroundings before passing through a green light. Be on the lookout for red-light runners.

-Never speed through a yellow light. Not only are you running the risk of a traffic citation, but you’re also increasing your risks for an accident.

-Remember the risks of running a red light, including a traffic ticket, a serious accident, increased insurance rates, irreversible consequences, hospital bills, etc.

-Make the pledge today that you’ll always be ready to stop at an intersection, whether it is for a red light, another vehicle or even a crossing pedestrian or bicyclist.

-Obey the posted speed limits so that you can stop for potential dangers at an intersection.

We’re not asking you to slam on your brakes if the light turns yellow. Many car accidents at intersections are in fact rear-end accidents for this very reason. Travel at a reasonable speed and avoid sudden maneuvers. Make your actions behind the wheel as predictable as possible for other motorists.

Use the month of August to stay more in tune with traffic lights. The Federal Highway Administration uses this month not only to push motorists to obey traffic-control devices.
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Safe driving advocates continue to yank on the coat tails of state lawmakers, asking them to beef up distracted driving laws. Some state lawmakers are listening and are looking into creating steeper fines and tougher penalties for those who are busted driving while engaging in certain distractions.

Lawmakers in the state of Florida aren’t listening — we are one of the few states left with no distracted driving laws on the books. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), all drivers in the state of Florida are allowed to make phone calls and text message at the wheel whenever they please. Even teenage drivers and school bus drivers have no rules governing distraction. Ohio, one of the last holdouts, just passed a law.

Our Naples car accident lawyers understand that distracted driving accidents are completely preventable. We may not have distracted driving laws in Florida, but we’re asking drivers to put down the cell phone and the text messaging device while in the driver’s seat to make our roadways safer for everyone. Not only are you jeopardizing your own safety by taking that phone call while driving, but you’re jeopardizing the safety of everyone around you, too.

There are some who are against raising the penalties for being busted driving while engaging in distractions. Gary Biller of the National Motorists Association is one of them. He says that more expensive fines aren’t going to do the trick. He says that transportation officials and other safe driving advocates need to concentrate on changing drivers’ attitudes.

“It’s more productive to treat distracted driving as a driver education problem,” says Biller.

California has already increased their fines. Now drivers face a $30 fine for a first time offense and then $60 fine for a subsequent offense.

Connecticut has gone from a $100 fine to a $125 fine for a first-time offense, from $150 to $250 for a second-time offense and from $200 to $400 for the third-time offense and on.

New Jersey is in the process of sponsoring a measure to get their fines increased for distracted driving, according to USA TODAY. Eight states, including New York and California, ban all hand-held cell phone use by drivers. Most others have passed bans on text messaging.

Regardless of laws, fines and penalties, drivers are asked to keep safety a top priority. There’s no phone call or text message that should be worth the risk of injuring someone or killed yourself or an innocent motorist. Driving requires our full attention. A number of studies have proven that attention cannot be safely divided between driving and any another task. If your full attention isn’t on the task at hand — safe driving — then you’re increasing your risks for an accident.

You’re urged to keep your phone in your glove box or your back seat. When it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind and you’ll be less likely to use it. You can set up a voicemail notification that alerts drivers that you may not be answering because you’re driving and you’ll call them back when you stop. If you need to take a call or deal with a text message, you can hand the duties off to a passenger so that they can do so safely and so you can keep your attention on the road.
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During this time of the year, road crews are working in the summer heat throughout the state to make our streets safer for everyone. We also see an increase in the number of accidents in work zones. Unfortunately, most of the people who are killed in work zone accidents are motorists and pedestrians.

Our Fort Myers personal injury lawyers remind motorists to pay extra attention in work zones and construction sites. Being on your best behavior behind the wheel will help to reduce risks of a potentially fatal accident. You’re to be especially careful when driving during the evening hours. As a matter of fact, about half of all fatal work zone accidents in Florida happen after dark, according to itseveryonesjob.com.

About 25 percent of these accidents are the result of a driver who was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Another 50 percent of these accidents are the result of a speeding driver.

For these reasons, officials with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) launched a Work Zone Safety campaign. The goal of this campaign is to help to make sure that everyone recognizes the dangers of recklessly driving through our state’s work zones. Officials think that the campaign is working, saying that the number of construction zone fatalities has been declining steadily since 2005. Back then, there were nearly 140 people killed. We’ve been able to bring that number down to about 95 as of 2008.

What’s most troubling is that most of these accidents are completely preventable.

There were more than 40 people killed in work zones in the state of Florida in 2010, according to The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. These injuries and fatalities can be costly. A case of minor injuries is estimated to cost about $6,000 while a fatal accident is estimated to cost as much as $3 million.

To help to keep everyone alive and to make these zones flow as smoothly as possible, officials offer the following safety tips. Please look them over and exercise caution when you drive through a road work zone in Florida.

Work Zone Safety Tips:

-Never speed in these areas. Speed limits are oftentimes reduced in these areas. Lookout for posted speed limit signs. Speed-related accidents are some of the most common in work zones.

-Stay alert. Hazards can seemingly jump out of nowhere. Be on the lookout.

-Keep an eye out for workers and their equipment along the road.

-Avoid changing lanes. Do so before entering the work zone.

-Stay off of your cell phone and avoid using other electronic devices.

-Keep your headlights on to help workers and other motorists to see you more easily.

-Expect delays. Leave early for your destination to avoid rushing.

-Avoid tailgating. Leave enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you. You need time to react. Don’t minimize this time by following too closely.

-Be ready for lane shifts and follow road signs and flaggers.

-Be patient and remain calm.
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A 35-year-old man was recently arrested after his alleged involvement with a hit-and-run car accident in Naples at the Brittany Bay apartment complex.

According to WINK News, the driver reportedly backed out of a parking lot at a high rate of speed, sideswiped a vehicle and then sped off. Luckily, the owner of the vehicle that was hit was standing nearby watching fireworks and witnessed the accident. Officers say that they saw the suspect speed out of the complex. They also say that he ran a stop sign before pulling onto Collier Boulevard. Upon entering Collier, his car fishtailed for about 200 feet.

Shortly after the suspected hit-and-run driver got onto Collier, they pulled him over. During the traffic stop, the victim of the apartment-complex sideswipe arrived on scene and told the officers that they had the man who hit their car and fled. The suspect was arrest and is looking at charges of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage in addition to reckless driving charges. Authorities believe that he may have also been under the influence of drugs at the time.

Our Naples car accident attorneys understand that hit-and-run accidents happen every day and they happen to innocent people. Many times, drivers will flee the scene of the accident because of alcohol or drug use, because they lack a valid driver’s license, or simply because they panic. Whatever the reason may be, it is important for the victim to call authorities immediately and then to contact an experienced attorney. In some cases where the driver was not located, a motorist may be able to collect from his or her own insurance policy. When a driver is located, recovery may come from his or her insurance policy, insurance policies in place on other vehicles in the household, or a claim against an at-fault driver’s assets.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 10 percent of all traffic accidents are hit-and-run accidents. Every year, there are nearly 1 million of these kinds of accidents reported. That’s a near 20 percent increase since 1999, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

What might be most shocking is that there are nearly 3,000 of these accidents reported in the state of Florida each and every year.

What to do in the event of a hit-and-run accident:

-Check yourself and your passengers to see if anyone is injured.

-Call the police!

-Provide officers with as much detail as you can, including info regarding the driver, the car and how the accident happened.

-See if there are any witnesses and collect statements and personal information.

-Take pictures if you can. Look for nearby traffic or surveillance cameras.

-Contact an experienced lawyer to help you to protect your legal rights.

-Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. Sometimes there are limitations regarding the time you have to notify your insurance carrier of an accident.
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The Fourth of July might be smack in the middle of the week, but Americans are using this time to make an extra-long holiday period.

Many will be setting out on vacations. According to CNN, there are more than 42 million Americans who will be venturing out least 50 miles from their home during the holiday period. That’s a near 5 percent increase over the past few years.

Some are saying that it’s the low gas prices fueling the travel fever. Whatever it is we know that our roadways are going to be slammed and you’re urged to be careful. The Fourth of July returns some of the highest rates for car accidents in Cape Coral and elsewhere among any of the holiday periods.

Our Cape Coral car accident attorneys understand that nearly 55 percent of this year’s Fourth of July travelers are planning on starting their vacation before the work week even begins. It’s going to be a long week of dangerous roadways. According to officials with AAA, nearly 36 million of the near 42 million travelers are expected to get to their destinations via car. The rest of the travelers will be using other forms of transportation, such as trains, planes, cruise ships and buses.

July is the deadliest month out of the year on our roadways. Much of this is a result of the risks we face during the Fourth of July holidays.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 170 people are expected to die in car accidents over the Fourth of July holiday, counting as the time between 6:00 p.m. on the 3rd and 11:59 p.m. on the 4th. Experts are also predicting that more than 17,000 people will be injured in auto accidents during this time, too.

There are ways that you can reduce your risks for one of these accidents. The NSC is here to offer some safe driving tips for this dangerous travel holiday.

Fourth of July Safe Driving Tips:

-Stay off the phone. About a quarter of all accidents involve a cell phone-using driver. Keep distractions out of the driver’s seat.

-Make sure that everyone in your vehicle is buckled in properly during each and every car ride.

-Never leave a kid or a pet unattended in a vehicle. During this time of the year, heat-related injuries are common when individuals are left inside of a car, even when it’s running and the windows are cracked.

-Do not drink and drive. Remember that officers are out looking for impaired drivers through their Fourth of July Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign.

-Make sure you know where your teen driver is going, who they’re going with and when they’ll be back.

-Never get into a vehicle with an intoxicated driver.

-Get plenty of rest before heading out on your car.

-Keep calm behind the wheel and stay focused on the road.

-Check weather and traffic conditions before heading out.
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It’s the summertime and teen drivers are hitting our roadways. They’re heading to the beach, they’re cruising to the mall and they zipping on over to friends’ houses.

According to the newly-released statistics from there National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 2,000 drivers between 15- and 20-years-old who were killed in car accidents in 2010.

These young drivers have some of the highest risks for these kinds of accidents. Please talk to the teen driver in your family and urge them to be cautious on our roadways during summer break and during the rest of the year. Parental advice may be some of the most influential messages in these young drivers’ career behind the wheel. Your talk could potentially keep them out of a fatal accident in Fort Myers or elsewhere.

According to the most recent statistics from the NHTSA, there were close to 190,000 of these young drivers who were injured in traffic accidents in 2010. Although this is an approximate 5 decrease from the 2010 totals, experts predict that this number will make a quick turnaround as the economy continues to improve and more motorists hit out roadways.

Our Fort Myers car accident lawyers understand that there were close to 400 people in this young age group who were killed in car accidents involving these young drivers in the state of Florida in 2010. Of these fatalities, nearly 115 were the young drivers, close to 80 were passengers in these drivers’ vehicles, more than 110 were the occupants of other vehicles and close to 55 were nonoccupants. The state of Florida ranked in as one of the top states for these fatalities, which we all know is no contest that we want to win.

According to Florida’s Drive with CARE program, car accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for teenagers in the state of Florida and elsewhere across the country. This program is all a part of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle’s (DHSMV) effort to keep our streets safe for everyone. Our teens may be hip with the latest technology, but the truth of the matter is that they’re not always the best drivers. Parents are asked to make sure that these teens are following the state’s Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) program and that they’re following all of their household driving rules. These restrictions aren’t in place because parents and lawmakers are trying to pick on these young drivers, they’re just trying to keep them, and everyone else on our roadways, safe.

The younger the driver the higher the risks are for accidents. Sixteen year old drivers have the highest crash rates of all drivers on the roadways. They’re the youngest and the least experienced and they’re also the drivers who are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as speeding and tailgating.

While teens make up less than 10 percent of the state’s driving population, they are involved in nearly 15 percent of all of the fatal accidents we see.
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According to John Ulczycki with the National Safety Council (NSC), having a car accident in Naples and elsewhere is the gravest summertime threat for residents across the state.

For most Americans, car accidents are the leading cause of injury. During the summer season, more cars travel the country roads for more miles. For that reason, June, July and August have the highest rates of auto accidents!

If you’re really concerned with living to see September, Ulczycki says that you need to be cautious and careful on our roadways and you need to wear a seat belt.

Our Naples accident lawyers are here to help you to get through the busy and dangerous summer travel season. It’s awfully congested out there, especially here in Florida. Residents from around the country are heading out on their summer vacations and many of them head to the state of Florida to do just that. We’re asking drivers to slow down, to calm down and to be a courteous driver this summer.

In the state of Florida, there were close to 2,500 roadway fatalities in 2010. While this is a near 5 percent decrease from the year before, officials are warning of an increase over the next few months.

Lee and Collier County were pretty active during this time. In Lee County, we saw nearly 5,000 traffic accidents in just 2010. Collier County trailed behind, but was still pretty high in comparison to the rest of the state, with nearly 2,000 traffic accident-related fatalities.

Statewide, there were close to 235,500 traffic accidents in 2010. These accidents involved more than 338,000 drivers. If you break it down, that’s nearly 650 car accidents a day! Many of these accidents happened during the summer months. In 2010, there were more than 2,440 fatalities and another 125,000 people injured. That’s not counting the accidents that just resulted in property damage, which account for another 108,500 accidents.

Just because you’re not in a car doesn’t mean that you don’t have to worry. Bicyclists and pedestrians are at serious risks for accidents during this time. The numbers for these types of accidents increase over the summer months, too! In 2010, there were nearly 100 bicyclists killed in the state of Florida. In addition, there were out 5,000 bicyclist injuries as a result of traffic-related accidents. Pedestrians weren’t any better off. In 2010, there were nearly 500 pedestrians killed in the state of Florida in addition to the more than 7,000 who were injured, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV).

Drivers are asked to be cautious of all kinds of travelers on our roadways.

We’re all using the same roads to get to our destinations safely. Let’s all work together to achieve this common goal. There’s no use in getting aggravated or getting frustrated on our roadways. It’s import to calm down behind the wheel and to make safe decisions. During this time of the year, sometimes our emotions get the best of us and accidents result. Be safe, calm and courteous behind the wheel through the summer travel season and help us all to get their safely.
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