Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
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.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Gonzalez & Sharp for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Roundabouts Slowing Drivers and Improving Roadway Safety, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, February 27, 2013
Nighttime Driving — A Common and Dangerous in South Florida, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, February 21, 2013