Because cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, and other motorized vehicles have become such a ubiquitous part of most people’s everyday lives, it is easy to take it for granted that everyone will be careful and considerate while using them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. People can often be reckless and inconsiderate when they are driving their vehicles, and their negligent behavior or intentionally improper behavior can cause accidents that severely injure those with whom they share the road.
Here are the top ten causes of Florida car accidents:
1. Driving Faster Than the Posted Speed Limit
Speed limits in Florida and elsewhere exist to strike a balance between allowing drivers to reach their destinations quickly and allowing them to travel safely. In reality, finding a driver who obeys the posted speed limit all the time would be quite a difficult task. Some people take their speeding much too far, though, weaving in and out of traffic and paying attention only to reaching their destinations in the shortest possible amount of time.
2. Aggressive Driving
When some people get behind the wheel of a vehicle, they feel like they are insulated enough from the outside world that they can behave in an abnormally aggressive manner. They change lanes quickly and without signaling, they get angry at other drivers who are not going as fast as they are, they lay on their horns and startle those in the vehicles around them and they engage in erratic or even violent behavior out of frustration.
3. Texting While Driving
Using your phone while driving, particularly to look at text messages you have received or send text messages to other people, shows a reckless disregard for all the other people on the road. The implication is that the text messages are more important to the person checking them than the safety of everyone else who is on the road, as paying attention to text messages is a dangerous distraction from paying attention to your surroundings.
4. Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be the ultimate act of reckless disregard for others on the road. Drivers who are operating their vehicles under the influence of alcohol or an illicit substance are responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal Florida car accidents. Many of these accidents happen late at night or early in the morning when it is dark outside. The darkness makes it even more difficult for drivers who are under the influence to assess traffic and road conditions, observe their surroundings and make safe decisions about how to operate their vehicles.
5. Ignoring Traffic Signals
People’s eyes and attention can wander away from the road and from the traffic signals governing their paths of travel. In-vehicle distractions–children in the backseat who want or need something, adjusting the stereo system, looking for something to eat or drink, and passengers who demand your attention, among other things–are often to blame when people ignore traffic signs and signals.
6. Falling Asleep While Driving
Sleep deprivation is a growing problem, not least because it leaves drivers significantly less alert than they would be if they were sleeping as much as they should be. Over-the-road truck drivers who have strict deadlines to meet and spend days at a time on the road are particularly prone to falling asleep while driving. Trucking accidents in which the truck’s driver fell asleep at the wheel are often deadly. A Florida car accident attorney should handle them.
7. Weather Conditions
Driving is much easier and much safer when the roads are dry and there is not a cloud in the sky. Inclement weather is a fact of life, though, and it can cause drivers to panic or behave unwisely when they encounter it. Rain, wind, hail, lightning, and flooding can all make driving less safe and cause Florida car accidents.
8. Mechanical Defects and Equipment Failure
Unfortunately, the equipment in a vehicle simply will not last forever. It will eventually fail and need to be replaced. Most of the time, even when equipment fails, the driver will be able to navigate it to a safe location to have someone repair it. But when a tire bursts while the vehicle is traveling on the highway or the brakes stop working as the vehicle approaches an intersection, a serious accident requiring the services of a Florida car accident attorney could occur.
9. Animals
Animals often behave unpredictably, and even small animals can startle a driver enough to cause an accident. Large animals–for example, deer, alligators, bears, or livestock–pose an even more serious threat to drivers, as they are big enough and heavy enough that they can do significant damage to a vehicle if it hits one of them.
10. Road Construction
Everyone loves road construction after it is finished. While it is in progress, though, it can pose a hazard to drivers and to the construction workers who are making the repairs. Detours, shifting lanes and altered traffic patterns frequently cause uncertainty and confusion, shifting drivers’ focus to the construction and away from all the traffic around them.
After you have been in a motor vehicle accident, it can be difficult to know what you should do next. You probably want to find some way to recover compensation from the responsible party, but the idea of filing an insurance claim and, if necessary, filing a lawsuit may seem too daunting. Luckily, a Florida car accident attorney at Bodden & Bennett Law Group can help you get your life back on track and put you on the path to recovery. You can discuss your accident and injuries with a Bodden & Bennett attorney in a free, no-pressure initial consultation. If the firm takes on your case, you will not have to pay them any up-front fees. They will only get paid when your case is resolved through a settlement or a final judgment against the responsible party.
