Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Everyone thinks they know how dangerous texing while driving is, but do you know just how deadly it can really be? Ask a Naples woman who recently lost her pregnant daughter because of a distracted-driving accident, according to WINK News. Now, to increase awareness of this dangerous habit, drivers are filmed while attempting to complete an obstacle course while texting. Supports hope to illustrate your increased risks for being involved in a serious car accident in Fort Myers and elsewhere because of distracted-driving.

“She was going to walk the block to finish packing her stuff and I was to meet her there, pick her up with her belongings, and drive her back to her apartment she just got,” said Kristin Murphy, the mother of the victim.

Our Naples car accident attorneys understand the dangers of distracted driving. But we would like all motorists to understand the dangers and risks that accompany these poor driving habits. As technology continues to advance, the number of distracting devices available to drivers increases. It’s not only technology though. A driver can be distracted by virtually anything, including other drivers, the radio, their current mood and even maps. It is important for all drivers to focus on one thing, and one thing only, while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle — driving!

Kristin’s daughter was in the process of moving out into her own apartment back in March of 2009 when the accident occurred. Her new apartment was only a block away from her mother’s house.

Her daughter was passing through the intersections of U.S. 41 and Airport Pulling Road, and never made it.

“18-year-old boy on his cell phone didn’t see them crossing the street and hit both girls,” recalled Kristin. “Chelsey was hit first. She took the brunt of the injury. She flew up on the hood, hit the windshield and was thrown 30-feet. Her friend was dragged a 105-feet by the car. Both girls were trauma-1 alerts, taken to Lee Memorial Hospital via the helicopter.”

Kristin’s daughter died a few days later in the hospital. The distracted driver never even knew he hit anyone.

“The police officer asked him what he was doing– said he was talking to his friend on the phone when the impact occurred,” said Kristin. “The police officer asked him if he knew what he hit and he said, ‘I think it was a water cooler.’ The dragging part was my daughter’s friend he drug here 100-feet.”

Kristin now advocates against distracted driving. She recently attended an event at the speedway at Disney. This is where Kristin watched parents take their teen drivers on an obstacle course that was set up by Allstate Insurance.

“The phone rings. You sort of feel bad if you don’t answer it. If someone sends you a text, your PDA buzzes, people feel like they have an obligation to respond to the person when they really have an obligation to themselves and other people on the road to keep them safe,” said Allstate CEO, Thomas Wilson.

Drivers at the speedway were to complete the obstacle course three times. First they had to go through it without any distractions. The second time they went through it one the phone and the third time they were to complete the course while trying to text and having passengers distract them. Cameras on the vehicle captured everything they ran over and even the driver’s reaction.

“When you’re talking on the phone you’re into your conversation you’re actually visualizing the person you’re talking to. You can see straight ahead, but you have tunnel vision; you can’t see what is on your sides,” Kristin explained.

Kristin now has a national PSA on YouTube that features her daughter’s face and a strong message about two lives that are forever changed.

“Chelsey’s dreams are buried with her and this boy’s dreams are gone. He can’t be a police officer. He can’t do that. He has two felonies now.” she said.

Distractions affect drivers in a number of ways. For one, it slows their reaction time to the same slow-reaction time of a driver who is legally drunk. Drivers who use a cell phone behind the wheel of a motor-vehicle are 4 times more likely to be involved in a serious car accident. For the safety of you, your loved ones and everyone else on our roadways, we ask that you hold off on the distractions until you’ve come to a complete stop on the side of the road. No life is worth losing over a phone call or a text message.
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As you know, judging by the heat and the humidity, the summer is officially here. Unfortunately, so is the increased risk of a tire-related car accident in Fort Myers, Naples and elsewhere throughout the state. According to a U.S. Department of Transportation consumer advisory, this is the time for you to check out your vehicle’s tires to help prevent one of these serious accidents.

Motorists are urged to check the air pressure in their tires. Drivers should also check out the condition of their tires, looking for bulges, uneven wear and general conditioning. The hot summer weather and under-inflated tires prove to be a deadly combination.

Our Naples personal injury attorneys urge residents to take the proper safety precautions this summer to help to prevent an accident. As the summer travel season begins, motorists will be hitting the road. The consumer advisory has been released to coincide with National Tire Safety Week and drivers around the country need to be aware of the condition of their tires, but especially those in Florida and other hot-weather states.

“As the weather warms up, it’s especially important for drivers to ensure their tires are properly inflated,” Secretary Ray LaHood said. “For your safety and the safety of others on the road, inspect your tires regularly and maintain the proper inflation.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 3,400 people died from 2005 to 2009 because of tire-related accidents. Another 116,000 people were injured from these incidents.

“While it’s true improperly maintained tires can contribute to a crash at any time of year, it is particularly critical for motorists to check tires during hot weather, when families and luggage often overload vehicles for long vacation trips,” NHTSA Administrator David Strickland warned. “Underinflated tires spinning on hot asphalt for extended periods of time can be a recipe for disaster.”

Motorists are urged to check their tire pressure often, but more importantly before venturing out on long trips. Aging tires and scorching pavement cause many more accidents for which the cause goes unreported. Your risk of an accident only increases if your old tires are under-inflated. You can check with the tire manufacturer or with the vehicle’s owner manual for recommendations on how often you should change your tires.

Keeping your tires inflated will also help you to keep a little extra cash in your pocket. The Department of Energy reports that under-inflated tires can lower your vehicle’s gas mileage by about 0.3 percent for every 1 PSI (pound per square inch) drop in pressure for all of your tires.

This is how it adds up: If a vehicle with a fuel-economy rating of 30 miles per gallon and tires with a 35 PSI tire pressure recommendation experiences a drop of 25 percent in tire pressure then the vehicle would lose about 8.8 percent in fuel economy. This means you’d be losing nearly 3 miles per gallon!
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Once thought to be prone to deadly rollover accidents in Fort Myers and elsewhere, SUVs are now among some of the safest vehicles on our roadways, according to USA Today.

A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that newer SUVs are much safer than smaller cars because of their size, weight, and now electronic stability control.

Our Naples personal injury attorneys would like you to make note of these new ratings. The vehicle you choose can ultimately be the determining factor between life and death in a serious accident. SUVs may be a better choice, despite increased fuel consumption, as their death rate has dropped nearly 70 percent from the 1999-2002 models to the 2005-2008 models. Their rate went from 82 deaths per million vehicles to 28 million, making them some of the safest vehicles on our roads.

“The rollover risk in SUVs used to outweigh their size/weight advantage, but that’s no longer the case,” says Anne McCartt, the institute’s senior vice president for research.

Many in the automobile industry credit the installation of electronic stability control for the increased safety ratings. This new technology uses the vehicle’s brakes and engine power to keep the large vehicles from skidding or flipping over.

“It’s a dramatic change and a testament to the incredible effectiveness of electronic stability control,” says McCartt.

The new technology is available on nearly every type of car, but is still more common in new SUVs. This is why drivers of 2009 model year cars are about twice as likely to die in a rollover accident than someone who is driving a 2009 model SUV. Stability control has helped bring down death rates across the board, though. The overall death rate for all vehicles from 1989 to 1993 model year vehicles was a little more than 100 per million registered vehicle years. Newer vehicles, or 2005 to 2008 model year vehicles, have a death rate of just under 50, according to CNN Money.

“This report explains why Americans equate size with safety, even though small cars today are safer than ever before,” says Wade Newton, spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

The overall death rate for 1989 to 1993 model year vehicles was 110 per million registered vehicle years. For 2005 to 2008 model year vehicles, the death rate is 48.

About 11.5 million vehicles were sold in the last year. Vans, SUVs or pickups accounted for 5.9 million, while 5.6 million were cars.

When you group the vehicles by segment, minivans are by far the safest with a death rate of 25 driver deaths per million registration years. Following vans are SUVs with a rate of 25, pickups at 52 and then cars at an average of 56. It should go without saying that larger cars perform better than smaller cars, with a death rate of 46 versus 82.

“For years, small cars have represented the low end of the economic spectrum and received fewer safety and enhanced design features,” says Sean Kane of Safety Research & Strategies, which advises plaintiff lawyers, government and auto suppliers. “Undoubtedly, that has an effect.”
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