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Drivers Causing Car Accidents in Wellington and Elsewhere with No Blinkers!

There’s an unsafe driving habit that’s catching the eye of safe driving advocates nationwide. It’s not what dangerous maneuvers drivers are doing behind the wheel, but it’s what they’re not doing.

According to MSNBC, a recent study was released that concluded that about 2 million car accidents in Wellington and elsewhere a year are caused by drivers’ neglect to use a turn signal. According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), drivers fail to use a blinker when changing lanes at least 48 percent of the time. They also fail to use their blinker when making turns at least 25 percent of the time. That means that drivers fail to use their turn signal nearly 800 billion times every year.

Laziness? Poor training? A lack of courtesy? Who knows why drivers fail to signal, but the truth of it is that this neglect is very dangerous and leads to about 2 million accidents every year. That’s roughly double the amount of accidents caused by distracted driving, according to Ray LaHood, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

Our Wellington car accident attorneys understand that many drivers overlook the importance of a blinker. Honestly, drivers need to make their maneuvers in traffic as predictable as possible and a blinker may be one of the most effective ways to do that. Drivers are required to use a blinker just as they’re required to follow other road laws on the books. Experts believe that drivers may be neglecting their blinkers because it’s not a top priority of enforcement for police officers and not many drivers are reprimanded for failing to use a turn signal. Safe driving advocates suggest that law enforcement officials start targeting this dangerous behavior as a way of improving compliance.

“This is a first of its kind report on a subject that amazingly, has never been studied,” said Richard Ponziani, P.E., President of RLP Engineering.

Another suggestion that experts have to help get drivers back into the habit of using turn signals is the “Smart Turn Signal.”

Researchers say that this system would be the perfect supplement to the Stability Control System. They say that this system would work much like an in-car seat belt warning. Ponziani says that the device would alert drivers if their blinker has been on for an extended amount of time. This would work when a driver has their blinker on and has not made a turn. Blinkers are already self-canceling after making turns, this would help to shut them off long after a turn has been made or is not anticipated. The system would also be able to warn drivers who aren’t using the turn signal when needed. A bell and a light in the vehicle would instruct drivers that they need to start using their signals. This technology is believed to be able to help prevent thousands of multi-car accidents every year.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident in Wellington, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in South Florida, the Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers at Freeman & Mallard are here to help you understand your rights and are ready to fight for the compensation that you deserve. Call us today to set up a free and confidential discuss of your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.

Additional Resources:

Turn signal neglect a real danger, study shows, by Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau

More Blog Entries:

NHTSA Campaign Fighting Car Accidents in Tamarac and Elsewhere, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, April 27, 2012

Rollover Car Accident in West Palm Beach: Cause Unknown, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, April 22, 2012

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