Broward Injury Lawyer Blog

Fort Lauderdale police officers have released the name of one of two men who were hit in a recent accident. According to CBS Miami, the accident happened just after 8:30 p.m. when a driver heading east on Broward Boulevard slammed into a pedestrian and then into a bicyclist.

Here’s how it happened: When the man turned to figure out what he struck in the first accident, he slammed into a bicyclist. The pedestrian died before emergency responders arrived at the scene. The bicyclist was taken to Broward Health Medical Center and treated for various injuries.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that bicyclists and pedestrians are awfully common along our South Florida roadways. Unfortunately, safe and responsible drivers are harder to come by. This is especially true once the sun sets. As a matter of fact, fatal accidents are more likely to happen during the evening and early-morning hours than during any other time of the day.

Driving at night can be risky business, and many drivers do not take into account that it can present hazards that are not present during daytime driving.

Driving at night is a common risk factor for all drivers, but it is particularly dangerous for young drivers. Distracted driving, speeding, motorists who don’t use a seat belt use and alcohol use are also among the most common dangers. But nighttime ranks as one of the most dangerous for our youngest motorists out there, and this is mostly because of a combination of the visibility challenges caused by dark conditions, slower response time brought about by fatigue, and a lack of experience driving after dark.

But just because we’re not teenager doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. Drivers of all ages suffer some serious obstacles when driving at night. Drivers are not able to see roadway dangers as easily as they are during the daylight hours. Unfortunately, because drivers cannot see the dangers, they drive as if they do not exist. The truth of the matter is that those dangers are still present. About 90 percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.

Consider This: Traffic fatality rates are three times greater at night than during the day, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Yet many of us are unaware of night driving’s special hazards or don’t know effective ways to deal with them.

When you’re behind the wheel at night, make sure that you keep an eye on your speed and keep your distance from other vehicles and objects. Use your headlights from sunset until sunrise and during periods of rain or snow. When in doubt as to whether you should use your lights, turn them on. Nighttime driving can be safe, if you’re safe behind the wheel.
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We’re often talking about the risks of drunk driving. As you know, drunk driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents across the nation. But would you believe that alcohol is also a serious problem in pedestrian accidents nationwide?

According to USA TODAY, more than a third of the pedestrians who were killed in 2011 had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit for driving.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that there were close to 2,000 pedestrians killed in the U.S. in 2011 who were legally drunk at the time of the accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s pedestrians between the ages of 25- and 34-years-old who are most likely to be involved in these kinds of situations. As a matter of fact, close to 650 pedestrians of this young age group who were killed in 2011 were under the influence of alcohol at the time of their accident.

In comparison, less than 15 percent of drivers who were involved in fatal pedestrian accidents were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

This newly-released information has prompted Anthony Foxx, the new U.S. Transportation Secretary, to kick off an effort to help combat fatal pedestrian accidents. In 2011, there were close to 4,500 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents across the nation. That’s about a 3 percent increase from the previous year.

Jonathan Adkins with the Governors Highway Safety Association says that drunk driving campaigns may have actually exacerbated the problem. Oftentimes anti-drunk driving campaigns focus on staying out from behind the wheel when and after consuming alcohol, giving drinkers the idea that it’s better to just walk home. But we’re seeing clearly that this isn’t the case.

The truth of the matter is that alcohol can impair a person’s judgment and can cause them to make poor decisions, whether they’re behind the wheel or on foot. When walking, those decisions can include trying to beat traffic across the road, crossing when a light does not permit and crossing the road at the wrong place.

Currently, there isn’t any information on a rise in the number of alcohol-related bicyclist deaths, but there has been a number of discussions on the matter since bicycling has become an increasingly popular form of transportation across the country. This is especially a problem in the state of Florida, where cycling has become so popular.
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When many people think of distractions and traveling, they think of texting while driving. Well, we’re here with another problem that’s plaguing our roadways. It’s texting while walking.

According to the Sun Sentinel, pedestrians who text while walking are limping their way into South Florida emergency rooms with some serious injuries. If you’re looking down at a phone, how are you going to be able to avoid a car coming right at you? Unfortunately, that’s a scenario we see all too often.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that pedestrians aren’t able to rely on the safe driving habits of others to keep them safe. You’ve got to fend for yourself out there and you need your full attention to do so.

“They almost always want to stay in touch with their Twitter and the Internet. They are almost addicted to it,” said Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, chief of emergency medicine for Broward Health.

While it’s okay to update your Facebook and Twitter, you might not want to do it while walking near vehicles that are traveling 50 miles per hour.

This is new behavior that has caught the attention of officials with the American College of Emergency Physicians. It even has its own entry on their “Injury Prevention” website, citing “sending text messages at inappropriate times, such as walking.”

According to the study, the risks for pedestrian accidents are greater in areas with nice, sunny weather — which makes Florida a war zone. When the weather is nice, residents and visitors are more likely to get out and walk, and with more pedestrian traffic we see an increase in the risks and ultimately an increase in the number of accidents.

According to a report from 2012 from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were more than 1,000 people who were treated for injuries related to using a cell phone and walking at the same time. Unfortunately, many officials believe this number is actually much higher because they don’t believe that many of the cases are accurately reported.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 500 pedestrians killed in the state of Florida in 2010. During that year, and most others, we were ranked as one of the most dangerous states in the country for these kinds of accidents.

In the U.S., a pedestrian is injured in a traffic accident about every eight minutes. Most of these accidents happen because we don’t see the dangerous driving habits of those around us in time. Next time you’re heading down the road on two feet, we’re asking you to look up and to stay aware. Your reaction abilities could help you to avoid a potentially fatal accident with a motor vehicle that’s heading straight for you.
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Pedestrian traffic in the area is easily some of the most at-risk traffic. These individuals are much more likely to die in an accident that the occupants of a motor vehicle. According to a recent study from the Ohio State University, the number of pedestrians injured while using a cell phone and walking has actually doubled since 2005.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that pedestrians seemingly have to fight for their own safety. It’s never a safe bet to rely on the driving habits of others to keep us safe. And that’s why it’s so important that we hang up the cell phone, put away the text messaging devices and stop the emails while walking near vehicular traffic. It’s important that we’re fully aware of what’s going on around us at all times to help ensure that we don’t become the victim of irresponsible driving habits of a motorist.

“The role of cell phones in distracted driving injuries and deaths gets a lot of attention and rightly so, but we need to also consider the danger cell phone use poses to pedestrians,” said a co-author of the study and OSU professor, Jack Nasar.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) reports that there were close to 228,000 traffic accidents reported in the state of Florida in 2011. Of these accidents, close to 7,050 of them involved pedestrians. In these, there were nearly 500 pedestrians killed and another 6,200 injured.

On average, in this country a pedestrian is injured in a traffic collision every eight minutes. One of the most common causes of these accidents is the inattentiveness from motorists. Oftentimes, pedestrians are completely overlooked along our roadways.

The truth of the matter is that the state of Florida continues to lead the nation in these kinds of accidents. We have beautiful weather, some exercise-conscious residents and accessible amenities. When all of those are combined, there’s no wondering why so many people are outside walking around town.

For pedestrians, it’s important to know the laws, like:

-When crossing the road (not at a crosswalk), it’s important to remember that you must yield to passing vehicles.

-You should never walk diagonally across an intersection that has traffic signals.

-A pedestrian shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device specifically applicable to the pedestrian unless otherwise directed by a police officer.

-Drivers should stop, and stay stopped, until a pedestrian is completely across the road.

-Vehicles should not be parked on sidewalks or crosswalks, interfering with the walkway.

-Pedestrians are not allowed to stand in the portion of a roadway paved for vehicular traffic for the purpose of soliciting a ride, employment, or business from the occupant of any vehicle.

Don’t allow yourself to become a statistics. Pay attention to the road and always be one move ahead of the traffic around you. It could wind up saving your life.
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A 22-year-old female driver from Fort Lauderdale was recently arrested and hit with DUI manslaughter charges after officers say she hit and killed two pedestrians while driving her mother’s vehicle.

According to the Daily Mail, the woman was arrested roughly three weeks after the accident happened in a downtown Fort Lauderdale parking lot.

Authorities report the woman was driving her mother’s Porsche west on Broward Boulevard around 2:00 a.m. when the accident happened. She allegedly lost control of the vehicle as she attempted to turn left onto Southwest Fifth Street. Her vehicle hopped over the curb, went through some bushes and sped through a parking lot, before taking down two pedestrians. One was sitting down on the curb and the other was standing next to his bicycle. Both were killed.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that pedestrians are at risk for an accident anytime they’re near traffic. Unfortunately, we cannot predict nor rely on the safe driving habits of other motorists. And Fort Lauderdale is all too popular for walkers and revelers alike. In fact, it’s been ranked among the five deadliest metro areas in the United States when it comes to pedestrian accidents.

Florida leads the nation in vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents. According to the City of Fortlauderdale, a pedestrian is injured in a traffic collision, on average, every eight minutes. Most pedestrian injuries occur as a result of combined inattentiveness of motorists and the failure of pedestrians to use crosswalks.

There are a few things that you can do as a pedestrian to help to reduce your risks of an accident in Broward County:

-First, you want to make sure that you’re aware of your surroundings at all times.

-When there are no sidewalks available for use, remember that it’s safer to walk facing oncoming traffic.

-Pedestrians are to follow all traffic devices, just as vehicles.

-You want to make sure that drivers always see you before proceeding.

-Be wary. Most drivers are nice people, but don’t count on them paying attention. Watch out – make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.

-Remember that alcohol and drugs can impair your ability to walk safely. Just as these two have a negative effect on drivers, they have negative effects on walkers, too!

-Keep an eye on our younger pedestrians. Children may not be able to understand the traffic around them. and therefore may put themselves at an increased risk for a potentially fatal accident.

-Avoid walking at night. This is when fatal pedestrian accidents are more likely to happen. Drivers have a more difficult time seeing you when it’s dark out.

-Try to avoid busy roadways. You want to use the roads less traveled whenever possible.
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A female pedestrian was hit and killed by Broward Sheriff’s deputy’s patrol car. According to CBS Miami, the woman and her boyfriend were attempting to cross Federal Highway (near Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital) at roughly 3:00 a.m. when the accident happened. Investigators are still trying to figure out how fast the officer was traveling.

“I heard the hit, and saw her landed on her head,” said the victim’s boyfriend.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that Florida continuously ranks as one of the most dangerous states in the country for these kinds of accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 500 pedestrians killed in the Sunshine State in 2010 alone. These fatalities accounted for roughly 20 percent of all of the traffic accident fatalities recorded throughout the year.

The sad truth of the matter is that these accidents are becoming a little more common on our roadways. At a time when we’re seeing a decrease in nearly all of the different categories of traffic accident fatalities, pedestrian fatalities are moving in the other direction.

Roughly 75 percent of the pedestrian accident fatalities recorded throughout the year occurred in an urban setting. Nearly 80 percent of these accidents happened at non-intersection areas (in comparison to intersections).

And most can’t blame it on the weather either. Close to 90 percent of all pedestrian fatalities happened during normal weather conditions (clear/cloudy), compared to rain, snow and foggy conditions.

But the time of day/night did have an effect on these numbers, as close to 70 percent happened during the evening and nighttime hours.

To help to stay safe out there, pedestrians are urged to:

-Know and obey all traffic laws.

-If there are sidewalks available, use them. If there aren’t any, make sure you walk against traffic. That way you can see what’s coming your way.

-Make sure that you always cross the road at a crosswalk. These are marked areas on the road especially for pedestrians. They’ve got signals, too — listen to them. These are the safest areas for someone to walk across.

-Look left, look right and look left again. You want to make sure no one is coming from any direction before crossing the street.

-Make sure the traffic around you can see you. Wear reflective clothing and bright colors to help ensure that you’re seen by everyone.

-Avoiding walking at night if you can. This is when you’re most likely to get into an accident.

-Be careful at intersections where drivers may fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians while turning onto another street.

-Be wary. Most drivers are nice people, but don’t count on them paying attention. Watch out – make eye contact to be sure they see you!

-Talk to your kids about how to be safe while walking. Children are some of the most vulnerable for these kinds of accidents.
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