Posts Tagged ‘Springs’

Keeping Your Teen Safer from Coral Springs Car Collisions

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

If you are a parent and have a young driver in the house, keep in mind that young drivers are at greater risk of Coral Springs car accidents when compared with adult drivers. According to research studies, this may be because teen drivers have less driving experience and, as a group, are more prone to risk-taking. As a parent, there are several things you can do:

1) Don’t assume that your teen is safe if they are too young for a driver’s license. Even if your teen is too young for a driver’s license, they may be getting rides with their older friends who have cars. Set rules in place early – well before a 16th birthday. Make sure your teen knows not to get into a car with a drunk or distracted driver. Have your teen know that they can always call you to get a safe ride home – no questions asked

2) The car should be home by 10 PM. Night driving is very different than driving in the daytime, and night driving puts a teen driver at a greater risk of a Coral Springs truck accident or car accident. Until teens develop their driving skills further, they should be prevented from driving too late at night. Parents may also wish to get them some one-on-one instruction with a qualified driving instructor for night driving.

3) Put some rules in place. Have written rules about driving or riding in cars. These rules should include rules about no drinking and no distracted driving. They can also include rules about the number of passengers in the car.

4) Have consequences in place for rules violated. If a teen driver drinks and drives, drives distracted, or otherwise violate the rules that parents have set up for safe driving, the teen should face consequences – such as loss of driving privileges or the loss of other privileges. If your teen knows that they will lose driving privileges or other privileges by driving distracted, they may choose to put their mobile devices and other distractions away when driving.

5) Sign a pledge with your teen not drive distracted or drunk. Signing this sort of pledge together shows that you are both committed to avoiding distracted driving and drunk driving. There many online pledges that you can sign as well as online certificates and pledges that you can print out and sign with your teen.

6) Get your teen additional driver training. Most teens can get a driver’s license with only a very limited number of practical in-car hours and many of those driving hours do not include very focused one-on-one instruction. Additional one-on-one training with a trained driving instructor or defensive driving classes can help develop skills and can reduce the risk of a Coral Springs traffic accident. Racing classes can also be a fun way for your teen to hone skills.


Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

How Focusing Forward May Lead to Coral Springs Car Accidents

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

We’ve all seen drivers who simply look forward, leaning towards the windshield. While drivers do need to focus on the road in front of them, however, driving is about using one’s mirrors and being aware of what is all around the car. Good drivers need to use their mirrors and check their blind spots regularly to prevent a Coral Springs traffic accident. There are many reasons why just focusing ahead can cause a Coral Springs car accident:

1) It can cause a driver to cut someone off. Drivers who do not check their mirrors and blind spots to see who is behind them and beside them when they change lanes can cut off someone who is traveling too closely. In some cases, this can easily lead to a Coral Springs truck accident or car accident.

2) It can cause a driver to drift into lanes without signaling. Not being aware of drivers behind you can make signaling seem less important. Seeing other drivers around you and being aware of them reinforces the fact that you need to warn others before you change lanes or make any unexpected moves.

3) It can mean discourteous driving. Not being aware of drivers behind and beside you can mean that you are not anticipating other drivers and therefore not being courteous. For example, you may not notice that the driver behind you is trying to speed up so as not to be caught running a red light, or you may not notice that a driver is trying to merge behind you. Being aware lets you drive more courteously, which is safer and helps prevent road rage as well.

4) It can mean being unaware of dangerous drivers behind you. In many cases, preventing a Coral Springs motorcycle accident or traffic accident means driving defensively – something you can only do if you are aware of the traffic beside you, in front of you, and behind you. Noticing traffic around you in time can help you prevent a serious car accident.

Keeping your eyes on the road is important, but it is also important to remember that keeping your eyes on the road means using your mirrors and checking your blind spots, too. Being aware of everything around you means safer streets for everyone. Of course, being aware of traffic around you also means eliminating distracted driving. Driving while distracted makes it all but impossible to keep a close eye on all traffic, which is one reason why distracted drivers are more likely to be in an accident – they tend to only look ahead when driving.


Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Can Car Interlock Devices Prevent Miami Springs Car Accidents?

Sunday, April 1st, 2012

According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drunk drivers were less likely to repeat the offence if they had alcohol interlock devices installed in their cars. The study examined drivers who were convicted of drunk driving in Washington. According to the study, the rate of repeat drunk driving offences declined by 12% after Washington State mandated that all drivers convicted of drunk driving install interlock devices on their cars.
The study may suggest that Miami Springs car accidents could be prevented with a similar initiative in Florida. With Miami Springs drunk driving accidents still claiming too many lives and causing too many injuries each year, perhaps it is time to consider mandatory alcohol interlock devices for drivers convicted of DUI offenses.

Alcohol interlock devices work very simply. The devices are installed in a vehicle and the driver of the vehicle must blow into the device before the car will start. If the driver has been drinking, the car will not start. The idea behind the devices is that they prevent drivers with an elevated blood alcohol level from starting and driving their cars. Advocates of the devices say that they prevent drunk driving and physically stop someone from driving their car after drinking. Advocates point out that the devices physically place an obstacle to driving drunk and are more effective than license suspension, since someone with a suspended license can still choose to drive without a license quite easily.

Those who disagree with the Washington program, however, point out that alcohol interlock devices are expensive and do not necessarily prevent someone from drinking and driving. Someone can still borrow a car without an alcohol interlock device and drive that vehicle. A driver with an alcohol interlock device in their car can also fool the system by having someone else blow into the device.

Anne McCartt of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety feels that alcohol interlock devices do work in preventing drunk driving deaths, however. She notes that drivers with DUI convictions are more likely to repeat their offence and be involved in fatal DUI car accidents. As a result, McCartt and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are supporting an initiative that would create a federal law to pressure states to create similar laws as Washington, requiring those drivers convicted of DUI to install alcohol interlock devices. States who initiate such programs would be eligible for additional federal highway funds and might get additional incentives.

Currently, fifteen states require any driver convicted of a DUI to install alcohol interlock devices in their car in order to maintain driving privileges. Twenty-two states require alcohol interlock devices only for those drivers who had very high blood alcohol levels at the time of their arrest and for those drivers who were repeat offenders. Drivers can choose to suspend their driving privileges in most cases, rather than install the alcohol interlock device.

Some experts feel that the devices could be effective in helping prevent some Miami Springs personal injury cases stemming from drunk driving. Even if only a few lives are saved by the devices, these experts suggest, the program is well worth the effort.


Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Are Elderly Drivers at Greater Risk of Coral Springs Car Accidents?

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

In Florida, a state with a high percentage of elderly residents, the debate about elderly drivers has been a long-standing discussion. There are some studies that suggest that older drivers are not at greater risk of car accidents than younger drivers. However, there are also studies such as the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study and the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, which found that between 1999 and 2004, the rates in car accidents for seniors ages 75 to 84 is about the same as for younger teen drivers. The studies found that for drivers who are over 85, the death rate is about four times higher than it is for teen drivers.

The US Census Bureau predicts that by 2030, there will be 9.6 million residents in the US who are 85 years of age or older, meaning more elderly drivers on the road. This has raised concerns about the dangers for drivers and pedestrians. According to experts, there are many risks for elderly drivers when it comes to Coral Springs traffic accidents. For example, dementia and a number of other age-related illnesses are often slow to be recognized, yet can cause problems with cognition and driving skills even before diagnosed. As well, elderly drivers may have vision problems which have not yet been diagnosed or treated but which may be serious enough to cause Coral Springs car accidents.

There have been a number of suggestions made about ways to reduce car accident rates among elderly drivers:

1) Improve transportation options to reduce car dependency. One of the reasons many elderly drivers are reluctant to give up their driving privileges is because they worry that doing so will reduce their independence. Offering a number of transportation options, including shuttle services and other low-cost options, can help make it easier for the elderly to get around without having to rely on their cars.

2) Create legislation that would make it mandatory for seniors to renew their licenses in person. According to a 1995 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this is the only method that has been scientifically tested and found to reduce fatal car accidents among seniors.

3) Mandate more frequent health and eye checks for senior drivers. While this proposal has been suggested, it has raised quite a bit of controversy. Of course, adults at any age can develop eye problems and health conditions which can make it dangerous for them to drive. Some people claim that asking only senior drivers to get eye checks and health checks for driving privileges is discriminatory. Others, however, argue that since the elderly are more susceptible to health related problems that can affect their driving ability, such tests could reduce the number of Coral Springs pedestrian accidents and traffic accidents.

4) Mandate regular road tests for elderly drivers. Some legislators have proposed instituting regular, even yearly, road tests for senior drivers. Again, this is controversial because it suggests that drivers of certain age groups are more dangerous than drivers of other age groups. Nevertheless, some experts have suggested that such regular testing would help reduce the number of Coral Springs traffic accidents.

5) Improve communication between health care providers and the DMV. In many cases, healthcare providers are the first to realize that a person has a serious condition which could potentially affect their driving abilities. Some have suggested that better communication between healthcare providers, occupational therapists, and others would help improve safety for all drivers, including senior drivers.


Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog