Florida’s high rate of accidents
From the most recent data available, we can see Florida has the third highest rate of car accidents in the U.S. With increased construction, particularly in Florida, and one of the biggest distractions of them all, cell phones, it’s easy to understand why accidents continue to occur. Additionally, with Florida’s rising rate of retirees, we have drivers ranging from 15 to 90 years old and over sharing the roads.
What to keep in mind while on the road:
- Many accidents occur on the highway, due to the high rate of speed many cars are going. Be aware of your surroundings and always double check before switching lanes.
- Intersections with blinking or flashing turn signals are a hot spot for both car-to-car collisions or collisions with pedestrians or bicyclists. Keep your eyes open and make smart decisions at intersections.
- There is an increase of accidents on Saturday nights.
- In 2017, there were 839 car accident fatalities caused by alcohol-impaired drivers.
- Seatbelts can be the difference between life or death. Seatbelts reduce the risk of serious injury by 50 percent and fatalities by 45 percent.
- Drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of fatal accidents related to distracted driving.
- A teen’s risk of a fatal crash doubles if he or she has one passenger. If two or more are present, the risk increases to five times.
- Wet conditions are the leading cause for weather-related accidents.
- In 2016, Florida was third state for the highest number of car accident fatalities, behind Texas and California.
- In the first 6 months of 2019, there have been 172,565 accidents.
We at Dennis Hernandez & Associates wanted to point out a few things to keep in mind next time you or a loved one get on the road. If you’ve been involved in a Florida auto accident, contact us for a free consultation.
