Broward Injury Lawyer Blog

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the state of Florida.

It’s important that we help our newly-licensed drivers to get the driver’s education that they need to help them to stay out of accidents. That’s why officials with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) are putting on Teen Driver Safety Week. This is a week-long campaign that takes place during the third full week of every October. It’s during this time that safe driving advocates work to spread the word about the importance of safe driving habits among our young drivers.

“It’s important that teens learn to be safe drivers from the beginning, and we encourage parents to be involved,” said the Director of the DHSMV, Col. David Brierton.

There are over 700,000 licensed teenagers in the state of Florida. Just last year, there were about 30,000 of them who were involved in fatal car accidents. In these crashes, there were close to 200 drivers between the ages of 15 and 19 who were killed. Many of these accidents and these fatalities could have been prevented if these newly-licensed drivers were offered a more thorough driving education.

During this week-long safe driving campaign, officials with the DHSMV and with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) will be visiting high schools across the state and will be putting on presentations to help to dramatize car accidents as viewed through the eyes of the responding paramedics. With these presentations, officials hope to bring home the message to young drivers about the importance of always wearing a seat belt, keeping the number of young passengers to a minimum, keeping distractions out of the driver’s seat and staying sober behind the wheel. Safe driving habits learned early on can turn into lifelong of safety.

Officials with the DHSMV are here to offer parents with a few pointers regarding safe driving habits and their teen. Review these Teen Driving Safety Tips and share them with the young driver in your family to help to keep them safe out there.

Teen Driving Safety Tips:

-Make sure every passenger is buckled up during every ride.

-Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

-Make sure the windshield is clean to help to maximize visibility.

-Avoid driving at night if you can.

-Make sure your vehicle always has enough gas. You never want to get yourself stuck on the side of the road.

-Keep the number of young passengers in the car to a minimum. Young passengers only increase your risks for an accident.

-Obey all road laws, this includes posted speed limits and other traffic devices.

-Always adjust your driving behaviors to accommodate the current weather, road and traffic conditions.

-You should always turn on your headlights during daylight driving.
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Cough medicines. Sleep medicines. Antidepressants. Decongestants. Most of us have taken at least one of these at some point in our lives. But did you know that these medications can get you into a car accident?

Some medications, prescriptions and even over-the-counter drugs can increase your risks for a car accident by more than 40 percent. In some cases, your reactions behind the wheel can be equivalent to that of a driver who is legally drunk!

Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers understand that there’s no getting around medications and prescriptions. Unfortunately, the use of these drugs is increasing in time with the growing population of elderly drivers. These are the ones who are most likely to be prescribed multiple medications. As a matter of fact, officials estimate that about 80 percent of drivers who are over the age of 64 are taking at least five medications, and often they haven’t talked with their doctor about the side effects.

Consumer Affairs reports drivers can use the Roadwise Rx tool from AAA to get customized information regarding their risks. All you have to do is visit the AAA website and go to the Roadwise Rx tool and enter in your prescription medication. The tool will offer you information about how these medications are reacting to one another, how they’re affecting your body and how they’re affecting your driving. While this tool is awfully resourceful and convenient, it’s not a replacement for a one-on-one with your doctor!

It’s estimated that about 10,000 Americans celebrate their 65th birthday each and every day. And Baby Boomers are expected to keep driving well into old age. As a matter of fact, officials estimate that one out of every six people will be 65-years-old or older by 2020. Officials also estimate that a good majority of these people will still have their driver’s licenses and will drive years longer than the elderly drivers of today.

“With medical conditions typically on the rise as people age, and treatment often dependent on medicinal interventions, there was a critical need to develop a tool to help older drivers understand the safety risk,” said Peter Kissinger, CEO and President of AAA.

Some over the counter medications, like Diphenhydramine, can seriously mess with a driver’s ability behind the wheel. According to researchers, this ingredient can give a driver the same abilities behind the wheel as one who is legally drunk.

We’re asking all drivers to be safe out there and to look into the prescriptions, medications and over-the-counter drugs they’re taking to make sure that their roadway safety is not in jeopardy. For some, it might even be better to stop driving altogether. There are other transportation options that can help to keep you safe!
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You can use your child’s car seat during every car ride, but it’s not going to do any good if it’s not installed correctly. According to Consumer Affairs, a recent survey showed these seats are often used improperly by parents and guardians, even with the new technologies like Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH), which are designed to make buckling these kids in a lot easier.

Officials with AAA recently talked to Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) about how well adults are bucking children in these seats. These technicians are those who inspect and then properly install child car seats for parents who seek a little help. According to their feedback, the misuse of the LATCH system should be a top concern as misuse occurs about half of the time.

Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers understand how critical it is to make sure that children are properly buckled in during each and every car ride. Parents and guardians are the one and only line of defense against injury and even death in the event of a car accident. When these children are not properly buckled, their risks for injuries skyrocket! Don’t leave them to fend for themselves; make sure they’re protected every time you turn on the car. You can mean the difference between life and death for young passengers.

According to Jennifer Huebner-Davidson with AAA, an overwhelming majority of parents are putting their children at risk on our roadways.

The LATCH system has been used as standard equipment since being launched back in 2002. Typically, it’s regarded as a user-friendly system in place of the seat belt. Officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say that about three-quarters of all parents who have experience using car seats say that they prefer the LATCH system.

This preference does not guarantee that it’s going to be used correctly though. According to a recent survey from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), less than 15 percent of parents and guardians who volunteered for the study were able to properly buckle the LATCH system.

One of the biggest problems with putting these seats in the car is that parents aren’t placing the seat in the right position. For year now, adults have been told that it’s best to put them in the middle of the back seat. That’s not so much the case anymore. During recent safety studies, only 7 of the top 90 top-selling cars supported this system in the middle of the back seat.

Officials with AAA are urging parents to review the user manual of the seat to make sure it’s being used properly. Remember that a seat belt should be used to keep this child car seat in place. If there’s not one available, it should be moved to an outer seat.
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The number of fatal car accidents in both Broward and Palm Beach counties is climbing steadily. Many find this alarming because of the recent reduction in all types of roadway fatalities nationwide.

According to the Sun Sentinel,. there were nearly 90 people who died in Palm Beach County through July 31st. That’s up from the 77 recorded during the same time in 2011. The same holds true in Broward County, where more than 105 recorded during this time in 2012 compares to the 87 reported in 2011.

If this trend continues, officials are estimating that the number of traffic fatalities this year will surpass 2011.

But why are there more accident occurring in South Florida? Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that experts cite a number of reasons, including the distracted driving epidemic, the improving economy and the weather.

“I know for a fact distractions play a large role in traffic crashes,” said Lt. Tim Frith with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

Many people believe that the biggest contributor to this problem is the lack in distracted driving laws in the state of Florida. As a matter of fact, the Sunshine State is one of the few states left in the country that has not enacted any kind of law to keep drivers off of their cell phone or their text messaging devices behind the wheel. Still, there were about 3,100 people killed in these kind of accidents nationwide last year.

Here in Florida, several laws were proposed in 2011 but lawmakers continue to reject them and allow drivers to do pretty much whatever they want to behind the wheel. Studies show that drivers understand the dangers and the risks that are associated with distracted driving. But still there are far too many who aren’t working to make the changes necessary to help to make our streets safer for all.

Unfortunately, it’s not just the distracted drivers who are hurt in these accidents either. It’s the state’s bicyclists and pedestrians, says Florida Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton. Slosberg knows just how devastating these accidents can be. Back in 1996, he lost his 14-year-old daughter in a car accident that involved a distracted driver.

The truth of the matter is that far too many people are dying on our roadways, and that’s a number that’s only increasing. Drivers are asked to be on their best behavior behind the wheel. Your safe driving habits may be the only thing that can help to bring down these numbers. Stay alert behind the wheel and keep distractions away from the driver!
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There are more than 1.5 million Floridians who are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their home over the long Labor Day weekend. This is more than a 2.5 percent increase from last year, according to the Sun Sentinel.

More people are expected to travel by car in the state of Florida than the rest of the nation. About 87 percent of Floridians will be hitting the road over the long holiday weekend, while only 85 percent of the nation as a whole will be using this form of transportation, according to AAA. They’re going to be paying more to get there, too. Gas prices are up close to 40 cents from this time last year. Currently, an average gallon of gas in Fort Lauderdale sits at about $3.79.

Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys are asking everyone to be on their very best driving behavior over the holiday weekend. More travelers means busier roadways and higher risks for accidents. As a matter of fact, there are more than 400 people who are expected to be killed in car accidents over the holiday weekend, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Officials are also predicting that there will be another 41,000 injuries because of car accidents.

Across the United States, there are close to 35 million people who are going to travel at least 50 miles to their Labor Day destination.

For statistics-keeping purposes, the Labor Day holiday weekend is specifically designed as the time from 6:00 p.m. on Friday the 31st all the way through 11:59 p.m. on Monday the 3rd. This is going to be some of the most dangerous three days out of the entire year.

Drivers are asked to safe while driving to help make our roadways safe for everyone. Officials with the NSC are here to offer you some safe driving tips to help you to ensure that safety.

Labor Day Tips for Your Road Trip:

-Never drink and drive. Make sure that you always have a designated driver or another sober way to get home.

-Make sure your seat belt is always buckled. This will help you to stay safe should you get into an accident.

-Check out traffic, weather and road conditions before heading out. Check for delays.

-Never engage in distractions as the driver.

-Make sure you know exactly where you’re going before you head out, too. This will help you to avoid road maps and GPS devices while driving and to keep your eyes on the road.

-Always travel after a full night of sleep. Avoid drowsy driving.

-Allow plenty of travel time to avoid frustration and diminish the impulse to speed.
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