South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Children are never too young to start learning about safety habits to practice when riding in a vehicle, playing around vehicles, riding the school bus or walking as a pedestrian. Teaching your child early safety skills will help to reduce their risks of experiencing an accident that results in child injury in Boca Raton or elsewhere. In an attempt to encourage parents to get their little ones involved, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has teamed up with Chuggington, an animated series, to help spread the word of safe traveling habits among children ages 2- to 7-years-old.

The child safety campaign includes a kid-focused safety pledge, downloadable tips and activities for parents to use with their children and an exciting video series for the young ones to watch.

Our West Palm Beach child injury lawyers understand that motor-vehicle accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for children that are 14-years-old and younger. In this age group, more than 1,300 were killed and another 179,000 were injured in 2009 because of traffic-related accidents. In 2007, there were nearly 300 pedestrian fatalities in this young age group. Another 115,000 of these young pedestrians were injured in traffic-related accident. The NHTSA and Chuggington are hoping that the new series will help to reduce the risks of these kinds of accidents.

The characters in this exciting and educational series will be learning new safety habits on every episode. When they've mastered one of these safety habits, they'll receive badges as rewards for safe behavior. The show will also be pushing the "Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!" pledge. This pledge is used to teach children to do as it says. Creators of the show hope that young viewers will be excited to learn about these safety rules and hope that they will interact with the characters on the show so that they can earn their very own Chuggington Traffic Safety badges.

This announcement was released to coincide with National Child Passenger Safety Week. This week-long campaign was used to get parents out to a local child seat inspection locations to ensure that they child's car seat is installed properly. It is estimated that more than 70 percent of child seats in the vehicles on U.S. roadways are improperly installed.

Child seats have been proven in a number of studies to have the ability to help reduce the risk of injury and death for children when the seats and the child are properly buckled in. The trick is getting parents to make sure that they're properly using these devices.

There were nearly 100 children under the age of 15 that were killed in Florida as a result of a traffic-related accident. With the proper knowledge, practiced by children, parents and motorists, we can all aim to reduce the risks of injury for these young ones.

Continue reading "NHTSA and Chuggington Team up to Reduce Risks of Child Injury in Boca Raton and Elsewhere" »

A recent teen car accident in Greenacres left an 18-year-old driver pleading for help. After the teen lost control of her vehicle, it flipped and landed in a canal. Luckily, seven gentlemen who passed the accident on Interstate 95 stopped to rescue the young driver. They've all been recognized by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and West Palm Beach Fire Rescue. Each of the courageous men was presented with certificates and whole lot of thank yous, according to ABC5.

Our Boca Raton car accident attorneys understand that serious accidents are an unfortunate commonality for many 18-year-old drivers. According to a recent report that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, about 25 percent fewer fatal accidents were experienced by 16-year-old drivers who were participating in a strict Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) program. The study also revealed that 18-year-old drivers who had completed a strict program face a 12 percent increase in the number of fatal accidents than those who were not a part of a strict GDL program. These statistics were pulled from fatal accident information collected from 1986 to 2007, according to CNN Health.

"Right now, we're not getting the net effect across all teens that we're hoping for," says Scott V. Masten, Ph.D., the lead author of the study.

The GDL program is doing its job to protect 15-, 16- and 17-year-old drivers, but it isn't doing much to help 18-year-old drivers. Once a driver receives an unrestricted license, researchers are seeing an alarming increase in the number of fatal accidents that these drivers are experiencing.

Researchers believe that the restrictions are what is causing the increased number of accidents in the unrestricted drivers. Once a driver receives and unrestricted license, they're oftentimes overwhelmed with the freedom and with the lack of rules that were previously used to reduce driver danger.

There is some sort of GDL program in every state. These programs and the restrictions vary from state to state.

Florida GDL program rules, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles:

-Learner's Permit: This license is for 15-year-olds and allows these drivers to operate a motor vehicle only when a driver who is 21-years-old or older is in the front-passenger seat of the vehicle. These individuals must have completed a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Course. They're also required to pass a vision test, a hearing test, a written test and must have a parent sign a Parental Consent Form. This license only allows drivers to drive during daylight house for the first three months. After this time, they're permitted to drive until 10:00 p.m.

-Intermediate License: These 16-year-old drivers can drive without licensed driver supervision, but are only allowed to drive from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. During other driving times, a licensed driver over the age of 21 must be in the front-passenger seat, or they must be traveling to or from work. Once a driver turns 17-years-old, they're allowed to drive from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Again, they must have a licensed driver over the age of 21 in the front-passenger side if they plan on driving during the restricted times, unless they're heading to or from work.

-Full Privilege License: At 18-years-old, all restrictions are removed from a license and drivers are required to follow normal road laws.

"The expectation was that older [teen] drivers wouldn't be affected much one way or the other, so this is a new thing to think about," says Anne McCartt, Ph.D., of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,

Continue reading "Recent Teen Car Accident in Greenacres Brings up Questions about GDL Program" »

As we recently discussed on our South Florida injury Lawyer Blog, South Florida pedestrian accidents are by far more frequent and more severe than those in other areas of the nation. Four of the five most dangerous cities for pedestrians in America are located right here in Florida.

In an attempt to reduce these types of accidents, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently released a report that analyzed pedestrian accidents and provided officials with options for reducing the risks of these accidents. According to the AAA report, there were more than 4,000 pedestrian fatalities that occurred on U.S. roadways in 2009. Speed is a leading factor in determining severity of injury.

Our Boca Raton pedestrian accident attorneys believe some of the suggestions that AAA has made to help reduce the risks of serious and fatal pedestrian accidents are worthy of consideration.

First, the Foundation encourages local governments to reduce the speed limits in areas where there is a heavy population of pedestrians. If these speed limits cannot be reduced because of the high demand for quick-moving traffic, AAA recommends that officials construct some sort of physical barrier that would separate pedestrians and motor-vehicle traffic. Lastly, AAA recommends that safe-vehicle technology be enhanced and improved to detect pedestrians within range.

AAA reported that there were more than 4,000 pedestrians that died as the result of traffic-related accidents in the United States in 2009. During the same year, roughly 59,000 individuals were injured in these same types of incidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 500 pedestrian fatalities in Florida in 2009. Most of these accidents happened when an inattentive driver was speeding in an area that was populated with pedestrians.

Florida pedestrian laws according to the Florida Department of Transportation:

-When sidewalks are available, a pedestrian shall not walk along the portion of a roadway that is paved specifically for vehicular traffic.

-No one who is riding a toy, a coaster or using roller skates is allowed to travel along the roadway unless crossing the street.

-Pedestrians are prohibited from walking along freeways or interstates.

-Pedestrians are not allowed to stand on the portion of a roadway that is paved for vehicle use.

-Pedestrians are required to yield to other vehicles in areas that are considered an intersection crosswalk.

-A pedestrian is not allowed to cross between adjacent signalized intersections.

-When there are no traffic lights or signs, a driver must yield to the right-of-way to the pedestrian.

-Pedestrians are not allowed to suddenly leave a curb and walk or run into the path of an oncoming vehicle which is so close that it is considered impossible for the driver to yield.

Pedestrians are urged to stay away from fast-moving traffic in areas which have not been designed to be pedestrian friendly. The AAA foundation concluded that the risks of injury and death for pedestrians are directly correlated with the speed of vehicles. The faster the speed of a vehicle, the higher your risks are for being seriously injured.

Miami Dade was ranked as the most dangerous county in the state of Florida. From 2000 to 2009, this county witnessed nearly 800 pedestrian fatalities. Following close behind this county was Broward County, Hillsborough County, Orange County and Palm Beach County.

Continue reading "Officials Urged to Analyze AAA Report to Reduce Risks of South Florida Pedestrian Accidents" »

Drivers distracted by hand-held devices continues to be a serious threat to safe driving throughout South Florida, including Boca Raton. The center of concern for law enforcement officials is that motorists are trying to do too many things other than what they are supposed to be doing: concentrating on driving safely.

"When people are not focused on the roadway, their response time is delayed by whatever is distracting them," said Travis Mandell, Fort Lauderdale police spokesman, according to a recent story in the the Sun Sentinel.

Distracted driving was a contributor in most of the fatal car accidents in Broward County in 2010, according to the newspaper. The fact that Florida is one of the only states left that has absolutely no laws banning the dangerous act may be the top reason as to why we have so many of these accidents on our roadways. The only way an officer can bust you for engaging in a distracting behavior while driving is to write you a careless-driving ticket.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that distracted driving is one of the top causes of car accidents in our area, among speeding, driving under the influence and failing to yield the right of way. All of the accidents that result from these dangerous behaviors can be avoided. All we ask if that drivers focus on the task at hand -- driving.

Distracted-driving car accidents are plaguing roadways across the U.S. To help combat these incidents, the National Safety Council recently launched a new safe-driving campaign to raise awareness in drivers. The campaign consists of a few short videos titled "Understanding Distracted Driving" and discusses some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the dangers, risks and consequences of driving with distractions. Featured in the video is NSC Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives David Teater. He is a long-time anti-distraction advocate. Unfortunately, he lost his 12-year-old son to an accident that was caused by a distracted driver back in 2004.

Since the fatal accident, Teater has been speaking around the county in an attempt to rally for anti-cell phone laws in states that have yet to enact the policy. He has recently spoken to the U.S. Congress and a number of state legislatures to push the ban.

The videos include answers to popular questions, including:

-Why are cell phones so dangerous to use while driving?

-How can a cell phone affect my driving skills and my ability to focus?

-What are the benefits of a cell-phone policy in the workplace?

-How can I create and enforce a cell-phone policy at my company?

"The resources NSC has developed explain why this behavior is so dangerous and provide solutions on how to go about changing behaviors to make our roadways safer," Teater said.

The National Safety Council was the first organization to push for a complete ban by all states on the use of cell phones by drivers back in 2009. Since the beginning, the council has been working alongside business leaders, effected officials and the public to combat the problem. The use of a cell phone by drivers kills roughly 1,000 people every year.

Continue reading "Cell Phone Use Continues to Cause Serious Car Accidents in Boca Raton" »

As we recently discussed on our South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, a record-high number of Floridian motorists are wearing seat belts to help them stay safe on our roadways. Florida law enforcement agencies have seen an increase in motorists buckling up during the 2011 "Click It or Ticket" campaign than during any previous year.

Maybe motorists are wearing seat belts to avoid a traffic ticket, or maybe they're doing it because they understand how beneficial it can be in the event of an accident. Either way, our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys are happy to hear it, but understand that we need to continue to press the issue to ensure everyone is staying safe on our roadways.

A recently released report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) illustrates just how effective some of the simplest safety measures can be. As car manufacturers continue to equip vehicles with top-of-the-line safety features, seat belts and properly used child safety seats are still some of the most effective ways to prevent injury during a motor-vehicle accident.

In 2009, the United States still lost nearly 33,000 people because of car accidents. The IIHS estimates that more than 12,700 lives could have been saved during the year if all motorists were to have been buckled up during a traffic accident. The Institute also predicts that if all children age 5 and older were buckled up, that another 3,700 lives could have been spared in 2009. According to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey, the national rate for seat belt use in the United States was 85 percent in 2010. This still means that roughly 15 percent of motorists are riding around without their seat belt on.

To help increase this national average, 32 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some sort of primary seat-belt law, which makes it permissible for an officer to pull over a motorist and issue them a ticket simply for not wearing a seat belt.

Another important way to keep passengers safe is to ensure that all young children are properly buckled in during every car trip.

According to ABC News, parents should use the following recommendations when buckling up a child:

-Children should be kept in a rear-facing car seat until they're at least 2 years old or until they've outgrown the weight and height limit for the seat.

-Children should be kept in a forward-facing car seat for as long as possible. Advance them to a booster seat only when they reach the height and weight limits for the car seat.

-Children should sit in a booster seat with a seat belt until they've reached 4-feet, 9-inches tall. Experts recommend that children stay in these seats until they're at least 12 years old.

"The 'age 2' recommendation is not a deadline, but rather a guideline to help parents decide when to make the transition," Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, told ABC News.

Seat belts and child car seats are some of the easiest and most effective ways to help keep vehicle occupants safe in the event of an accident. Remember to check all the passengers in your vehicle to make sure everyone is buckled before hitting the road.

Continue reading "Simple Steps to Prevent Injury in a Miami Car Accident" »

New federal regulations that are being put into action by President Barrack Obama's administration will likely lengthen the time-frame of when local traffic signs and signals require replacement.

According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a number of burdensome regulations regarding traffic signals will be tossed out to help save money for state and local governments with tight budgets. The U.S. Department of Transportation is suggesting that street signs be replaced once they've worn out rather than at certain intervals. The new set of rules will eliminate more than 45 federal deadlines regulating traffic controls.

But as with any widespread regulation change by the feds to deal with budget cuts, it is important to remember that road maintenance, road construction and traffic devices are not negatively affected. Without the proper display of effective traffic signs and traffic signals, the risks of being involved in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere throughout South Florida increases significantly.

Our Boca Raton car accident attorneys understand that this plan has been in the works for quite some time. Back in January, Obama requested a review of the current federal regulations governing the upkeep and replacement of roadway devices. He called for this review to help to determine which rules needed to be altered and which ones needed to be eliminated. Some rules were deemed completely unnecessary, too costly, burdensome or out-of-date.

Street signs will no longer be required by the federal government to be replaced by 2018, and they will no longer be required to display larger lettering once the deadlines are eliminated from the manual. Now, local governments will be able to replace these signs at their own will and when they've reached the end of their useful life.

The deadlines were first brought about by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This manual has been published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) since 1971 and lays out the federal standards for all traffic signals, street signs and roadway markings. Occasionally, the manual is updated so that the regulations can better meet the needs of new traffic control devices, the advancement of traffic management techniques and the ever-changing safety technologies.

The FHWA believes that local and state governments are able to efficiently judge just how often its traffic devices need to be changed. With the responsibility in the hands of these government officials, lawmakers will be able to best determine how and where tax dollars will be spent.

There are a number of factors that can cause a car accident. It is important that you contact an experienced attorney to help you analyze your accident to help you determine who is at fault and who is responsible for providing you with the proper compensation for your injuries.

Continue reading "New Traffic Device Regulations Could Raise Risk of Car Accidents in South Florida " »

A 58-year-old woman died recently during a scuba trip on a private boat. The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to the report at about 10 a.m. off the Boynton Inlet.

The call to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported that a boat was bringing the unconscious woman to shore. She was seen by medical responders and transported to the Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach. She later died at the hospital, according to The Palm Beach Post. The cause of death has not yet been determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.

Our Boca Raton personal injury attorneys understand that scuba diving is a popular activity for both residents and tourists. If you don't have your own boat or scuba diving equipment and will be venturing out with a scuba operator, remember to do your research. Scuba companies have an obligation to keep participants safe. They're responsible to researching weather conditions, ensuring safe rental equipment and ensuring that employed divers have the proper certification.

Scuba diving is a fun and exciting activity and everyone is urged to try. Florida is the perfect place to suit up and dip in. There are a number of Fort Lauderdale Dive Shops that offer customers a full range of equipment, tours, lessons and supervised dives. Future divers are asked to research potential dive companies thoroughly to determine which can best help to reduce your risks of a Fort Lauderdale scuba diving accident.

A recent report focusing on common causes of Open-Circuit Recreational Diving Fatalities analyzed nearly 950 recreational diving deaths that occurred between 1992 and 2003. The top causes for these fatal accidents are listed below.

Top causes of scuba diving accident fatalities:

-Drowning: 33 percent of fatalities.

-Arterial Gas Embolism: This is when respiratory gases expand during ascent. This occurrence accounted for 29 percent of deaths.

-Cardiac Incident: This is a common term for a heart attack or a stroke and accounted for about 26 percent of scuba diving deaths.

-Trauma: Trauma caused by an injury sustained while diving accounted for 5 percent of deaths.

-DCS: This term refers to decompression sickness or illness and represented nearly 3 percent of all scuba diving fatalities.

-Loss of consciousness: Oftentimes the loss of consciousness cannot be explained while diving, but makes up nearly 3 percent of these fatalities.

-Inappropriate Gas: This occurrence happens when an incorrect gas mix causes a death. This accounted for 2 percent of all fatalities.

Tips to get ready for your venture out to explore the underwater world off our Florida coastline:

-Speak with a doctor to make sure that your heart is in good condition.

-Train. Get your body into shape by doing cardiovascular aerobic exercises 5 to 7 times a week. You can try walking, biking, or jogging. If you're inside a gym, try using an elliptical, a treadmill or a stationary bike.

-Remember, you're not supposed to hold your breath while you're scuba diving. That's the golden rule! Practice steady breaths.

-Keep an eye on your air pressure. The rule of thumb says that you should surface when your tank has 500 pounds of air.

-Make sure that you're equipped with the necessary SCUBA, snorkeling equipment and instruction.

-Plan out your dive. Make sure your figure out exactly how long and where you'll be diving. Consider the direction of the current when planning.

-Never scuba dive alone!

-Take a course and memorize the functions of decompression stops, dive flags, precautionary steps and what to do if your equipment malfunctions.

Continue reading "Important Information to Avoid a Scuba Diving Accident in South Florida" »

Sleepy drivers are everywhere, and many of them can't recognize the symptoms and don't understand the dangers they're facing on our roadways. The bottom line is that the number of fatigued drivers on our roadways is alarming and they're causing many car accidents in Boca Raton and elsewhere throughout South Florida.

To help combat the problem, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is recruiting the help of state and local law enforcement agencies for Florida's Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. Each September, officials use an entire week to help raise awareness in drivers about this dangerous driving habit.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand the dangers of drowsy driving and are here to tell you some simple ways to avoid one of these potentially fatal accidents. Unfortunately, most drivers think that they can power through fatigued driving, but the truth is that the more you fight it, the more dangerous it becomes.

The Ronshay Dugans Act was passed back in 2010 and has named the first week of every September as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Alan Williams, District 8.

"Drowsy driving can be eliminated with simple planning and a conscious decision to pull over when you know you are tired. We want everyone traveling Florida roads to arrive safely at their destinations," said Representative Williams.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that every year there are about 100,000 accidents reported to police officers that point to a drowsy driver as the cause. These accidents take the lives of roughly 1,550 people and injure another 71,000. These types of accidents cost about $12.5 billion every year. Many agencies believe that these numbers are even higher because they predict there are a large number of accidents that are never reported.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, these are some common symptoms of driver fatigue:

• Being unable to recall the last few miles traveled.
• Having wandering or disconnected thoughts.
• Having trouble keeping your eyes open and focus on the road.
• Feeling as if your head is very heavy.
• Drifting your vehicle out of your lane.
• Yawning a bunch.
• Missing traffic signs and other road devices.

To help prevent drowsy driving make sure to:

• Get plenty of sleep before venturing out on our roadways.
• Bring along a friend. If you start experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, give yourself a break and let a passenger drive.
• Schedule in rest breaks. You should never drive more than three hours consecutively.
• Eat well-balanced meals. Being hungry can assist the feeling of drowsiness.

Drowsy driving has the potential to affect everyone on our roadways. Be considerate of the safety of others and do your part to keep yourself and your passengers safe by preparing yourself and learning about the symptoms and cures for fatigued driving.

Continue reading "Statewide Campaign Aims to Educate Drivers about Drowsy Driving Car Accidents in South Florida" »

Floridians are wearing their seat belts now more than ever. According to the Florida Department of Transportation Secretary and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, more Florida motorists were witnessed wearing seat belts during the 2011 Click It or Ticket campaign than any other year. Throughout the campaign, 12 Florida counties were observed and the seat belt usage of their drivers was recorded. An average of 88 percent of drivers in the observed counties were recorded traveling with a seat belt.

Florida motorists who ride while wearing a seat belt are less likely to be injured in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere throughout the state. It has been concluded through a number of studies that seat belts greatly reduce the risks of injury for motorists. Some of the strictest safety laws and enforcement efforts won't compare to driver discipline. Please make sure that you and all of your passengers are buckled up during every drive, no matter how short or long it may be.

Our Boca Raton car accident attorneys would like the congratulate Florida drivers on their improvement. As technology improves and motor vehicles technology advances to help keep occupants safe, seat belts still remain as one of the top protectors in traffic collisions.

"We have made great strides in getting more and more people to buckle up, but we still have a long way to go," said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad.

The Click It or Ticket campaign concluded that pickup truck occupants were the least likely to buckle up on Florida roadways.

This year's Click It or Ticket campaign was held from May 23rd to June 5th. During this time, local and state law enforcement agencies combed the roadways in search of motorists who were breaking Florida seat belt laws.

Florida's seat belt laws:

-All seat belt laws apply to the occupants of cars, pickups and vans.

-All occupants of the front seat are required to wear a seat belt.

-All passengers that are under the age of 18 are required to wear a seat belt.

During the seat belt campaign, Florida law enforcement agencies practiced a zero tolerance policy. All motorists who were stopped for neglecting to wear a seat belt were reprimanded.

"Florida's record high safety belt compliance rate is a great example of how effective legislation can be," said Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' Executive Director Julie Jones.

In the state of Florida, motorists who are busted without a seat belt up will be slapped with a $30 seat belt violation. If your child is not properly buckled up, you'll receive a $60 violation.

2011 Ticket of Click seat Belt county usage observances:

• Hillsborough: 85.6%


• Marion: 85.6%


• Orange: 85.9%


• Polk: 86.3%


• Miami Dade: 86.5%


• Pinellas: 87%


• Leon: 89.8%


• Broward: 89.8%


• Duval: 88.9%


• Palm Beach: 91%


• Collier 91.2%


• Lee: 92.4%

Continue reading "More Florida Drivers Using Seat Belts and Saving Lives in Fort Lauderdale Car Accidents" »

Connected cars may one day be your best defense against a car accident in Palm Beach County. New technology will provide a number of advantages to drivers, but some worry the software will be more distracting than anything, according to Forbes.

This software will not only help you to avoid a collision with another car, but it will help to keep you informed about your vehicle's performance and recommendations for vehicle service. In addition to roadside assistance features, the software will also include a GPS system than will allow you to take the most economic route to your destination by helping you to save fuel along the way.

Safe driving advocates worry that the availability of entertainment and informational services will contribute to driver distractions and in turn increase your risks of a fatal car accident.

Our Boca Raton car accident attorneys understand that these vehicles aren't likely to go main stream any time soon. But the thought of a futuristic car isn't far off. With new technology come new problems. We would like to continue to enforce safe and aware driving habits. Nothing is more effective in preventing a car accident than cautious driving habits.

These new connected cars will be able to work alongside smartphones. A driver's vehicle will be able to be configured with the touch of a button to better adapt to their personal driving style. To help ensure that driver's aren't too distracted with the technology, designers have created a feature that disables smartphone use when the vehicle is in motion. Drivers will be able to use voice-activated controls when the vehicle is moving however.

While automakers continue to release more and more features to reduce the risks of car accidents nationwide, the truth is that we're seeing more distracted driving accidents now than ever.

According to distraction.gov, nearly 5,500 people were killed in 2009 as result of traffic accidents that involved a distracted driver. These types of accidents accounted for nearly 20 percent of all traffic accident-related injuries for the entire year. Of all of the recorded distracted driving car accident of 2009, nearly 20 percent of them reported the use of a cell phone as the form of distraction. This means that nearly 1,000 accidents were caused by a driver using a cell phone behind the wheel.

Drivers between the ages of 15- and 19-years-old are most likely to be involved in a distracted driving accident. They accounted for more than 15 percent of all of the drivers that were involved in these types of accidents in 2009.

Drivers that are distracted by a hand-held cell phone are four times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident that is serious enough to cause injury. Recent studies have concluded that using a cell phone behind the wheel of a motor vehicle gives you the same reaction time as a driver who is legally drunk.

As more and more technology is released, whether to make driving safer or not, we ask motorists to keep their focus on the roadways. Alert driving habits can help to save a number of innocent motorists that are killed in traffic accidents with distracted drivers every year.

Continue reading "Connected Cars to Increase or Reduce Car Accidents in Boca Raton?" »

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently released statistics concluding that nearly five percent of drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at least once in the last 30 days. These statistics reveals just how likely motorists are to be involved in a car accident in Boca Raton with a drowsy driver.

Unfortunately, researchers believe that this number is actually a lot higher. According to a 2005 study, a third of all drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at least once in the last year. Another 15 percent admit to falling asleep while driving on a regular basis, saying they do it at least once a month, according to Automotive Industry Today.

Our Palm Beach County car accident attorneys understand just how dangerous drowsy driving can be. The problem is that many drivers believe they can push through the symptoms without falling asleep.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 10,000 traffic accidents involve a drowsy driver ever year. These accidents kill more than 1,500 people and injure another 71,000 each year. These accidents cost more than $12 billion annually.

Unfortunately, there is often no certain way to determine if an accident involved a drowsy driver so the actual number of these types of incidents is estimated to be much higher than initially thought. Some experts believe that drowsy drivers contribute to a fourth of all traffic accidents.

Officers can run tests to determine if a driver is drunk, but there's no way to test if a driver was drowsy during an accident. Officers can't rely on reports either because a driver is not likely to admit to law enforcement that they dozed off behind the wheel.

One of the worst things a driver can do when they feel driver is so simply "tough it out." Many motorists believe that caffeine, loud music and rolled-down windows can cure their sleepiness. But that's not true because these efforts are oftentimes short lived.

To help reduce the risks of falling asleep at the wheel:

-Drivers should schedule frequent breaks. It is recommended that drivers stop to rest at least once every three hours of continuous driving.

-Make sure you're well-rested before you head out.

-Get enough sleep each night. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concluded that drivers who get at least six to seven hours of sleep each night are twice as likely to be involved in an accident as a driver that gets at least eight hours of sleep every night.

Continue reading "Drowsy Driving Car Accidents in Boca Raton a Bigger Problem than Expected" »