Broward Injury Lawyer Blog
A recent two-car accident in Pompano Beach ended up seriously injuring a 6-year-old who was riding a scooter. According to the Sun Sentinel, five other people were injured in this accident. A spokesman for the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue says that the accident happened just after 1:00 p.m. after a driver failed to acknowledge a traffic device on Northwest 5th Avenue.
Reportedly, the car crash happened as a 28-year-old driver was heading north on Northwest 5h Avenue when he ran a stop sign and slammed into another passenger vehicle that was heading westbound on Northwest 8th Street. After striking the vehicle, the 23-year-old’s vehicle hit a nearby fence and slammed into the six-year-old on the scooter, ran into a parked van, slammed into a tree and then crashed into a pickup truck. Officers with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit are interviewing witnesses and continue to investigate the accident.
Our Broward County car accident attorneys understand that our roadways can be very dangerous at times, especially for small children. For this reason, it is important for parents to talk with young ones about the dangers on the roadways and passing traffic. According to Safe Kids USA, the number of overall motor-vehicle fatalities that occurred to children under the age of 15 during 2008 was 1,350. About 70 percent of pedestrian deaths are motor vehicle-related. Of these fatalities, nearly 300 were pedestrian fatalities and about 100 were bicycle fatalities. Many of these fatalities and hundreds of thousands of injuries could have been prevented if parents would have stepped in and discussed the dangers of traffic with children. Start now! It’s a great time to pull your child aside and talk about safe pedestrian habits with them.
Your child faces some of the most dangerous risks in the country for a pedestrian or bicycle-related traffic accident. In recent years, Florida was ranked as the most dangerous state in the country for these types of accidents.
The City of Fort Lauderdale is here to help South Florida kids to stay safe when playing near moving traffic. The City has provided a few recommendations to help make our roadways safer for everyone, especially young children.
State and Local Laws to Help Protect Child Pedestrians and Bicyclists:
-Lower the speed limit is all residential areas.
-Offer protections, like crosswalks and sidewalks, to on-foot and bicycle travelers.
-Prohibit vehicle from passing school buses while boarding on letting off passengers.
-Provide crossing guards for popular crosswalks, especially crosswalks near schools and popular neighborhoods.
-Require all pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the roadway at a crosswalk.
Talk with your child about the dangers and risks that are associated with vehicular traffic. Urge then to look left, right and back left again before crossing any street. Make sure that your child is geared up in bright-colored clothing, reflective tape and a flashlight when outside near nighttime. Reiterate the importance of traveling on a sidewalk and away from the roadway. Always supervise your child. Your concern and supervision can help to keep your kid on the right path to safe biking, scooting and pedestrian travel.
If you or your child has been injured or killed in a pedestrian or a bicycle accident in Broward County or in any of the surrounding areas, contact Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorney Richard Ansara at 954 761-3641 or toll-free at 877-277-3780 for a free initial consultation 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
More Blog Entries:
Pedestrian Accidents in Fort Lauderdale and Elsewhere in the State Rank Florida as #1 Most Dangerous, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, January 21, 2012
Florida Residents at High Risks for Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents in Broward County and Elsewhere, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, January 15, 2012
