Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog

Memorial Day is here and most of you are packing up and heading out. While good times and great memories lie ahead, so do the increased risks for car accidents. As a matter of fact, the Memorial Day holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel holidays of the year. With more people on our roadways, you can expect some congested traffic and some unfortunate delays. This is a time when we all need to keep our cool behind the wheel and drive with safety as a top concern.

Our Fellsmere car accident lawyers understand that traffic and congestion can get frustrating. It's a sad fact of life. Unfortunately, some drivers let their tempers flare a little too much and put everyone else out there at risk. That's why we're asking drivers to show up prepared and to be ready for the inevitable to help to reduce the risks for an accident.

The most important thing you can do is to be a defensive driver. Defensive driving is all about situational awareness. Pay attention to everything on the road. If you see another driver make a mistake, be ready to get out of the way and prevent an accident. It's also about understanding that drivers do make mistakes and not everyone is out to get you. Don't take these mistakes personally and avoid the urge to retaliate.

You may not think you're an aggressive driver, but you'd be surprised. Far too many drive aggressively and have no idea that they're doing it. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving happens when "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property." We provide guides, planners and information to law enforcement professionals and prosecutors to assist in the reduction of aggressive driving."

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety predicts that close to 35 million people are going to venture at least 50 miles from their home over the holiday weekend. That's a lot of cars on our road.

So how to do stay cool behind the wheel?

-Be aware of your own state of mind. If you start to feel agitated behind the wheel, pull over and take a moment to collect yourself. There's no need to rush.

-Allow yourself extra time to get to your destination. Rushing increases aggressive feelings behind the wheel.

-Plan out your route. Make sure that you know the best way to get where you're going. Avoid overly-congested roadways and have a backup plan, or another way to get to your destination.

-Get plenty of sleep before heading out.

-Make sure you eat a complete, well-balanced meal before hitting the road. Carry snacks to avoid that behind-the-wheel hunger.

-Never get behind the wheel if you're upset.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Injury Attorneys Wish you a Safe Memorial Day" »

AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign to help put a stop to text messaging drivers is gaining support. According to PCMag.com, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and more than 200 organizations have hopped on board to spread the word.

We will leave alone the fact that these brands were build on promoting the "car phone" and recognize that this program has the potential to reduce the number of serious and fatal collisions caused by distracted driving. With this added sponsorship, the initiative now includes an outreach program aimed at teens, a massive retail presence and a texting-while-driving simulator tour. The campaign is looking to touch each and every driver out there -- in an effort to reduce the risks.

Our Pompano Beach car accident lawyers understand that our teen drivers face the most serious risks. Did you know that car accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for teens across the country? But it's not just the teens who are at risk here when we're talking about texting while driving. It's the business commuters who are in trouble here, too. According to a recent study, close to half self-report texting while driving. Less than 45 percent of teens report this behavior. Both report that they understand the risks, but just aren't willing to hang up the phone.

"Texting while driving is a deadly habit that makes you 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash," AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in a statement.

Stephenson adds that the risks behind texting and driving have been on the rise in recent years, but people are still ignoring the risks. Drivers feel comfortable talking behind the wheel -- and we're all suffering because of it.

As it stands now, there have been close to 2 million personal commitments made on the "It Can Wait" website. We're suggesting you visit the website and truly make the commitment to never text and drive. It's a move that could wind up saving your life.

While you're at it, you're also encouraged to help spread the word. Talk to your friends, family and community about the risks associated with texting and driving.

But really how bad is the problem?

According to distraction.gov, there were more than 3,330 people killed in car accidents that involved a distracted driver in 2011. This is compared to the less than 3,270 who were killed in these same incidents in 2010.

Let's break it down: Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

Whether you're a newly-licensed teenage driver, or a regular business commuter, we're asking you to hang up the phone behind the wheel. You should never take your eyes off the wheel for a text message or a phone call.

Continue reading ""It Can Wait" -- A Live-Saving Message Gaining Nationwide Recognition" »

The summer months may be some of the most exciting for our teens, but they can also be some of the most dangerous. Because they're out of school and on summer break, kids get to spend more time behind the wheel, and that puts them at a greater risk for getting into a deadly car accident.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we find nine of the 10 deadliest days out of the year for teen drivers. During the months from May to June, we see an average of 13 teen fatalities a day out there on our roadways.

Our Oakland Park car accident attorneys understand that traffic accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for teens across the nation. This is partially because of their inexperience behind the wheel, and also because of their oblivion to the risks our roadways present. Parents and guardians can step in and speak up today to help raise awareness and share the education that our newly-licensed drivers need to stay safe out there.

Before you get started, make sure your teen driver knows what it expected of them. This can be done by enacting a parent-teen driving contract within your household. In this contract, make sure that you lay down rules for driving curfews, communication guidelines and passenger restrictions.

Parents should also consider the following safety tips for teen drivers:

-Make sure that you're always setting the example. When your teen is riding along with you, be sure that both hands are on the wheel, cell phones are put away, your attention is on the road and that you're following all road laws. Parents are the most influential people in a teen driver's career. Lead by example.

-Give your teen plenty of supervised driving time. Ride along with them often to make sure that they're doing all they're supposed to. Ride along with them in different weather and traffic conditions to help ensure that they're prepared for whatever is thrown at them. You don't want them to face any surprises out there behind the wheel.

-Make sure their vehicle is well maintained. Keeping their vehicle in good-running condition is going to help to keep them safe out there. (Do the same for your own vehicle while you're at it.)

-Have a talk with the parents of your teens' friends. Make sure that all the adults are on the same page and are advocating for safe driving.

-Keep communication channels open. Make sure you know where they're going, who they're going with and when they can be expected home. Knowing their whereabouts serves as an excellent deterrent to poor decisions.

Continue reading "100 Deadliest Days for Teenage Drivers in Florida" »

Earlier this month, law enforcement officials throughout the state of Florida kicked off a safety campaign safety as they begin a summer of enforcement measures. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), this safety campaign is used for Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT). This campaign is designed to highlight how aggressive driving behaviors can put motorists on the highway at a serious risk when involved in an accident with a larger vehicle.

“In order to keep you and your family safe when driving, motorists should exercise extra caution when sharing the road with larger vehicles,” said Florida Highway Patrol Colonel David Brierton.

Our Deerfield Beach car accident lawyers understand that driving can be frustrating. We've all got somewhere to be and we don't want to mess around en route. Sometimes, drivers make mistakes, accidents happen and traffic slows us down. But there's no use in blowing a fuse because of it. Irrational responses behind the wheel will only increase your risks for an accident -- and it's not good for your health either.

To help to spread the word about the DHSMV's campaign, billboards will be displayed around Daytona Beach, Orlando and Tampa. Officials with the Florida Trucking Association (ATA) teamed up with the DHSMV to help conduct various outreach programs throughout the state.

Through the busy Memorial Day travel weekend, officials will be out in search of car and truck drivers who drive aggressively. These habits can include tailgating, speeding and making unsafe lane changes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving is when "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property."

Opinion surveys show motorists rate aggressive driving as a top threat to highway safety, yet many do not identify their own behavior as aggressive. Crash data shows a ongoing increase in the number of deaths and injuries attributed to speed. And the more congested streets and highways are, the more you will encounter aggressive and unsafe drivers on and off the job, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

Unfortunately, Florida can hold aggressive drivers accountable by state statute, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). At least two of the following: speeding, unsafe or improper lane change, following too closely, failure to yield right of way, improper passing, failure to obey traffic control devices, are considered to be aggressive driving in the Sunshine State.

If you start to get heated behind the wheel, just take a second to breathe. There's no reason in letting your temper get the best of you and endanger your life and the lives of others around you. We're all trying to get to where we've got to be. Let's work together to get there safely.

Continue reading "Florida Law Enforcement Target Aggressive Drivers" »

The tractor-trailers of today do a pretty good job of keeping passenger vehicles from sliding underneath in the event of a collision. You have the underride guards to thank if you've ever struck the rear of a semi.

But much improvement to the devices is warranted.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in crashes involving only a small portion of the truck's rear, most trailers fail to prevent potentially deadly underride. And that's when your life is at risk.

Our Lake Work car accident lawyers understand that there are current standards that make sure most semitrailers have these underride guards. These underride guards are those steel bars that hang down from the rear of the trailer to help to stop your vehicle from sliding under in the event of an accident. The standards for the strength of these guards were improved in 2011. In addition to asking for tougher standards, officials also asked if these guards could be required on other types of large vehicles, including dump trucks.

But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn't responded to the IIHS' petition. Canada has much stronger requirements. U.S. underride guards are stronger in part because trailer manufacturers building trailers for use in North American build them in compliance with the tougher Canadian standards. And with the spotlight on these recent underride tests, some manufacturers have stepped up and strengthened their guards.

"Our tests suggest that meeting the stronger Canadian standard is a good first step, but.. it's possible to go much further," says David Zuby with the IIHS.

According to the latest statistics, there were more than 2,240 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in a traffic accident with large trucks in 2011. Of these fatalities, close to 300 of them were killed when the fronts of their vehicles slammed into the back of a truck. While still far too many lives lost, that is a significant decrease from the nearly 500 who were killed this way in 2004. But we can't be so quick to credit stronger underride guards for this decline, because the number of total vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. declined during that time, too. With fewer miles traveled, we see fewer accidents.

In the state of Florida, there were more than 200 large trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2011. This accounted for close to 10 percent of the number of vehicles involved in fatal collisions throughout the entire year.

In 2011, fatalities in crashes involving large trucks increased by 2 percent from 2010. In close to 50 percent of the two-vehicle fatal crashes, both the large truck and the other vehicle were proceeding straight at the time of the crash. Many of them occurred when the passenger vehicle slammed into the rear of the truck.

Underride guard or not, it's important that we're never traveling too closely to these large trucks. It's a move that could lead to a serious or fatal accident.

Continue reading "Underride Guards Strong Enough to Protect You in a Lauderdale Trucking Accident?" »

The state of Florida could soon become the 40th state to ban texting while driving, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

“By passing a law banning texting while driving, Florida continues the momentum in statehouses across the country to address this dangerous form of driver distraction,” said Kevin Bakewell with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Our Port St. Lucie car accident lawyers understand that the bill has one more stop before becoming official. It must win the signature of Gov. Rick Scott. The legislation sponsored by Sen. Nancy Deter, R-Venice (SB 52) makes texting, instant messaging and emailing illegal behind the wheel. Unfortunately this is only considered a secondary offense, meaning that a driver must be stopped for a prior offense before getting a citation for driving while engaging in these distractions.

"The bill is long overdue," House Minority Leader Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, told Tampabay.com. "We've lost too many young people, too many people in general."

The only person to raise a vote against this bill in the House was Republican Sen. Joe Negron of Stuart.

Upon approving it, officials also decided to add provision allowing police to obtain a driver's cell phone records when an accident results in personal injury or death.

Lawmakers have failed to pass similar measures each year since 2006.

As we continue to lose thousands on our roadways because of these dangerous driving habits, it's time to step up and make the change. There were close to 3,500 people killed in distracted driving car accidents in the U.S. in 2011, according to distraction.gov.

But officials think that there were a lot more than that, since these accident causes are tough to determine. A driver isn't likely to admit that it was distraction that lead to an accident.

This is unfortunately a problem that's getting worse with each passing day. As technology becomes more readily available, it gets easier for drivers to engage in these distractions and taker their eyes off the road.

Law or not, you know right from wrong. It's important that you're on your best behavior behind the wheel at all times. If you've got a phone call or a text message to deal with, make sure you pull your car over and come to a complete stop in a safe area before handling your business. If it's urgent, you can even hand over the duties to a passenger to handle. Whatever you do -- don't take your attention off of driving -- it could wind up being a fatal mistake.

Continue reading "Texting Ban Set to Become Law in Florida " »

With graduation and summer break right around the corner, teens are more likely to be behind the wheel. When they're spending more time driving, they face higher accident risks and we unfortunately see more teen traffic fatalities. We're approaching "The 100 Deadliest Days" for teen drivers. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), this is the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, an average of 399 teens died in traffic crashes during each of the summer months (May-August), compared to a monthly average of 346 teen deaths during non-summer months.

Our Fort Pierce car accident lawyers understand that it's not too late to instill safe driving habits in our newly-licensed drivers to keep them safe during this dangerous time.

Parents have good reason to be concerned when their teen gets behind the wheel. Young, inexperienced drivers are the most crash-prone drivers on the road.

According to newly-released statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 2,000 young (15- to 20-year-old) drivers who were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2011. Unfortunately, that's an increase from the prior year. In addition to these fatalities, there were another 185,000 teenage drivers injured in these crashes.

During this time, there were more than 115 teenage drivers killed in car accidents in the state of Florida. We ranked among the top states for recording the most of these fatalities.

We can and must do better.

What can parents do to keep their teens safe?

-Make sure their trip has a purpose. Don't just let them go out to drive and wander the streets. That's creating unnecessary risk.

-Limit the number of passengers that are allowed in the vehicle. Unfortunately, the state of Florida has no passenger laws on the books, but you can create your own household laws to make sure they're safe and focused.

-Keep an eye on their nighttime driving. Only allow it when it's legal and necessary. Their risks for an accident skyrocket when the sun sets.

-Make sure that you talk with them about the risks of drinking and driving. They may not be old enough to legally consume alcohol, but that doesn't mean that they can't get their hands on it.

-Enroll teens in driving school. Not only will it help to lower their insurance rates, but it will also help to lower their risks for an accident.

-Talk with the parents of your teen's friends. Make sure that everyone is on the same page with safe driving and with driving regulations.

-Make sure you ride along with them often. Providing plenty of supervised driving time will help them to develop safe driving habits that will last a lifetime.

Continue reading "South Florida Teens at High Risk of Traffic Collisions Through Graduation " »

The Florida Senate has unanimously passed a bill to outlaw text messaging while driving. The next stop for the legislation is final passage in the Florida House, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

Our Greenacres car accident lawyers understand this is a step in the right direction when talking about stopping distracted driving accidents. Unfortunately, Florida is one of the only states left that has yet to enact any sort of distracted driving law.

But it's not just about winning the cooperation of drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is targeting auto manufacturers.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Ray LaHood, officials are seeking cooperation from automakers to follow new guidelines, which seek to rid vehicles of distracting devices. These are voluntary guidelines, but officials are hoping they take hold. What they're looking to minimize is the access to electronic devices while the vehicle is in motion. This includes entertainment, communication and navigation devices.

"The new guidelines and our ongoing work with our state partners across the country will help us put an end to the dangerous practice of distracted driving," said the NHTSA's Administrator, David L. Strickland.

The problem here in Florida is that drivers argue that what they do in their vehicle is their business. Government agrees, saying that it doesn't want to impose on the rights of residents. But how many lives do we have to lose before there's a law enacted to stop such dangerous behavior?

Officials don't necessarily want these devices to be removed from future models, but they would like them to be inactive while the vehicle is in motion. If your car is stopped and in park, go ahead and talk, text and email. You can't cause an accident while parked.

These latest recommendations come after the completion of The Impact of Hand-Held and Hands-Free Cell Phone Use on Driving Performance and Safety Critical Event Risk study. This was a study that helped to prove just how at risk we are when we engage in distractions behind the wheel.

In this study, manual-visual interactions that were involved with using a cell phone made a driver close to 2 times more likely to get into an accident. Even when drivers were using hands-free devices, their risks for an accident were increased.

Ifou take your attention off of the road, then you increase your risks for an accident. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel and you're less likely to get into an accident. It's simple knowledge. We just need to get more drivers on board. There were close to 3,500 people killed in distracted driving car accidents in 2011. Together we can make a difference.

Continue reading "NHTSA Targets Automakers in Distracted Driving War" »

We all know that it's dangerous to drink and drive, but we're still losing the lives of thousands of people because of these accidents every year. What gives?

According to newly-released statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 10,000 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents in the U.S. in 2011. These kinds of accidents accounted for more than 30 percent of all fatal car accidents throughout the year.

Our Lake Worth injury lawyers understand that drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 were most likely to get into the accidents, followed by drivers ages 35 to 44. Men were more likely to get into these accidents, too. The proportion of drivers involved in fatal crashes with BAC levels of .08 or higher was 24 percent among males and 14 percent among females.

No matter who you are, or when you're driving, getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol should never be an option.

You're urged to be safe out there, especially while driving at night. As a matter of fact, the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal accidents throughout 2011 was close to 5 times higher at night than during the daytime. You're also urged to be safe out there during the weekend, as more than 30 percent of these accidents happened during this time.

In the state of Florida, there were close to 2,400 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents in 2011. According to the NHTSA, close to 900 of these fatalities involved at least one driver who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of collision. What's even worse news is that more than 715 of these drivers were legally drunk, or reported a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

It wasn't like everyone was just running around drinking and driving for the first time either. Many of these accidents involved drivers who had already been busted. Drivers with a BAC level of .08 or higher in fatal accidents in 2011 were seven times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired than were drivers with no alcohol.

Broward County is pretty dangerous when it comes to these kinds of accidents, too. According to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, there were close to 1,000 drunk driving convictions handed out in 2010. We were ranked as one of the most dangerous counties in the state because of it.

We all have to remember that there is never a legitimate reason to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. There's always a safe and sober ride there waiting -- and it's just a phone call away. After all, it beats the heck out of getting busted and doing jail time, or getting into an accident and hurting ourselves or another traveler.

Continue reading "New Stats Show Drunk Drivers Remains a Big Problem on Florida Roadways" »

We all know that there are many elderly drivers out there on South Florida roadways. We've got to deal with vacationers, snowbirds, retirees and even our own family members. While we might want them to just get off of the road, it's important that we're not contributing to the carnage.

According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), elderly individuals (those over the age of 64) accounted for more than 15 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 2011. Throughout the year, there were more than 5,400 of our elderly residents killed in traffic accidents. In addition to these fatalities, there were close to 200,000 people who were injured in motor vehicle accidents. These are numbers that have decreased by about 2 percent in recent years. But at the same time Americans overall are driving less. So no one can be sure if this decrease is the result of better driving habits and more proactive preventative measures, or just the simple fact that we weren't out there on our roadways facing the risks for a collision.

Our Palm City car accident lawyers understand that the safety of our elderly drivers ultimately takes a team effort. That's why it's important to make sure that we're keeping an eye on our elderly loved ones and making sure that they're not only fit to be behind the wheel, but that they're safe while they're there.

There were 35 million licensed older drivers in 2011. That's a more than 20 percent increase from 2002. In contrast, the total number of licensed drivers increased by only 9 percent from 2002 to 2011. Older drivers made up 16 percent of all licensed drivers in 2011, compared with 15 percent in 2002

The good news about these drivers is that they had the lowest proportion of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

If you're looking to help out the elderly driver in your family, your best bet is to make sure that they're paying attending during the daytime on weekdays. This is when these accidents were most likely to happen. More than 75 percent of these accidents happened in the daytime and more than 70 percent happened on weekdays.

In the state of Florida, there were close to 2,400 people who were killed in traffic accidents in 2011. Of these people, more than 400 of them were between the ages of 55 and 69, while nearly 400 were over the age of 70. As you would imagine, we were ranked as one of the most dangerous states in the country for these kinds of accidents. But we can help to put an end to that by looking over to our elderly family members to make sure that their abilities are up to the task of driving. It's a move that could end up saving their lives.

Continue reading "Elderly Drivers and Their Alarming Risks for Florida Car Accidents" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association has issued a consumer advisory to drivers of 15-passenger vans to guard against rollover crashes, particularly during this warm weather season.

Our Jupiter personal injury lawyers know the message is timely because these type of vehicles are often rented or used in the summer time for family vacations, summer camp outings or senior trips.

The main problem is that they are too often overloaded. Also, because these vehicles handle very differently from other types of passenger vehicles, they are at increased risk of rollovers. Those who drive 15-passenger vans don't need a special type of license, which is unfortunate because many of those who get behind the wheel of these behemoths often don't have a great deal of experience in operating them - which makes them more prone to improper actions such as over-correcting.

Just this month on the Florida Turnpike, the Associated Press reported that one passenger was killed and 19 other people injured - all from a Miami-area church group - after the 15-passenger van, into which they had piled, rolled over numerous times while traveling through Kenansville, just south of Kissimmee.

Investigators say the van was overcrowded and had a tire problem. Not only was the vehicle overloaded - including a number of small children - it was also crammed with a lot of luggage.

It appears that shortly after 7 p.m., the rubber from at least one of the tires on the vehicle began to separate. This resulted in the van rolling over toward the median.

It's unclear how many times the vehicle rolled, but we know the tragic result: One person, a 46-year-old woman, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Several of the children in the van were hurt. Three people were flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

This is exactly the kind of thing that the NHTSA wants to warn against.

Improperly inflated tires are reportedly one of the top causes of rollover crashes with 15-passenger van. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon issue. A recent NHTSA survey reportedly estimated that 30 percent of all 15-passenger vans in the U.S. have at least one tire that is "significantly" under-inflated, meaning by 8 psi or more.

The NHTSA advises the following for any individual, organization or company planning a trip with a 15-passenger van:
--No matter what, never overload one of these vehicles. Not only does doing this increase the chance of a rollover, but it decreases stability during handling maneuvers.
--The steering components and suspension should be appropriately inspected according to the manufacturer's recommend schedule. Any parts should be replaced as necessary.
--Keep the vehicle well-maintained. Drivers should be experienced in operating one of these vehicles.
--Make sure that the van is properly equipped with tires that are both the right size and correctly load-rated.
--Before every trip, the tires should be checked for any signs of damage or wear and to ensure that each tire is inflated properly.

And finally, the most important thing passengers can do is make sure to wear a seat belt - every time, no exceptions.

Continue reading "Van Rollovers a Summer Risk on Florida Highways " »

We might be doing a better job in helping to form the safe driving habits of our teenage drivers, but the job is far from over.

According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there was a near 50 percent decrease in the number of driver fatalities among drivers age 15 to 20 from 2002 to 2011. Although that may look like good news to you, it's important to point out that the number of teen driver fatalities actually increased from 2010 to 2011. This means that there were close to 2,000 teenage drivers who were killed in traffic accidents across the U.S. in 2011.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that traffic accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for teens across the nation, despite this recent decrease. In 2011, there were close to 212 million licensed drivers in the U.S. Our young drivers accounted for merely 6 percent of these drivers. Yet teenagers accounted for about 10 percent of all drivers involved in fatal accidents. The fact remains a large number of drivers out there are driving with little experience under their belt and are at extremely high risk for accidents. Parental and guardian involvement is one of the best ways to help to reduce these numbers.

In 2011, there were close to 4,500 young drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. During this same time, there were close to 1,300,000 teenage drivers who were involved in police-reported collisions. There were many accidents that officials believe were not reported.

In the state of Florida, there were more than 120 teenage drivers who were killed in traffic accidents in 2011. Overall, we were ranked as the third most dangerous state in the country for these kinds of accidents. If you include all teens involved in fatal accidents, you'd come out with a fatality number of close to 350.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), there are no passenger restrictions in the state of Florida for newly-licensed drivers. In addition to the lack of passenger regulations, the state of Florida also has very loose restrictions for teenagers behind the wheel. These two reasons may be top contributors to why Florida saw so many teen fatalities on our roadways.

For this reason, we're asking parents to get involved this spring. As the ruler of your family, your home and your teen, we're asking you to enact some tougher rules in your household. Parents and guardians are some of the most influential people in their teen's driving career. Make sure you're setting a safe example and your providing your young drivers with all the tools they need to develop safe driving habits.

Continue reading "Car Accidents and Teenage Fatalities on the Rise in Florida" »