Marcus Richards
Are you looking to make Florida your full-time residence? Do you wonder what some of the biggest reasons are for most of the car crashes that occur on the roads of the sunshine state? If so, then you need to learn about common car accident reasons.
Florida is a transient state and features residents from all over the United States. It combines people from all different walks of life, who learned to drive in different ways.
See below for an in-depth guide highlighting some of the most common reasons why car accidents happen in the state of Florida. Make sure you aren’t doing these things while on the road.
1. Texting and Driving
There are strict Florida laws forbidding drivers from texting while operating a vehicle. If you are caught, you’ll be fined $30 as a warning, the second time, you’ll be fined $60 and get three points on your driver’s license.
However, that doesn’t stop most people from trying it out. By texting and driving, they take their primary focus off of the road and obscure their vision. This is especially dangerous on the highway, where they’re moving anywhere between 60 to 80 mph.
Remember, the law isn’t just against texting, but from operating your phone at any capacity while in-transit. That includes switching songs on your playlist, operating apps, going to make phone calls, and so on.
The conditions on the road can change in a matter of seconds. By only looking down at your phone for 2 seconds, you could miss seeing someone cut you off or slam on their brakes, which will result in a crash.
2. Unpredictable Weather
Florida weather is no joke. Depending on the time of year, it can be sporadic and so unpredictable that it can give weather forecasters a splitting headache.
The entire state is considered to either considered to be a subtropical or tropical climate, which South Florida falling in the latter. This means that there is a season of heavy rain and thunderstorms from May through October.
In that season, you can expect to get caught in a torrential downpour several times a year. These rain spurts are impossible to see through, and a danger to try and navigate through.
Unfortunately, people don’t often make adjustments for bad weather in their travel plans. For example, a businessman with a meeting at 3 pm will head out for it at 2:45 pm, giving him no wiggle room.
If you find yourself stuck in a thick layer of rain or thunderstorm, turn on your hazard lights and pull off to the side of the road until it subsides. If you’re riding a motorcycle, find the nearest highway overpass to pull over under to stay dry.
3. Negligence of Common Traffic Laws
Everyone is guilty of disobeying a common traffic law at least once or twice in their driving life, but that doesn’t make it right.
All it takes is for one person to drive through a red light to cause an accident and major injuries for you and your family. If that were to ever happen, be sure to contact a local car accident lawyer to get the compensation you need.
This is also common with people that choose not to yield when making a right turn, those trying to perform a “Pittsburgh left“, ignoring a stop sign, and so on.
Don’t let yourself be part of the problem. Keep the phone in your pocket and remove all distractions from your car. This way, you can focus on following the rules of the road and making sure that nothing out of the ordinary occurs.
This will also help you if you get in an accident and someone else is at fault. This way, you can see the entire thing unfold and tell the story exactly as it happened.
4. Drunk Driving
Unfortunately, this is a very real and very common problem in the United States, and Florida is no exception.
Many people make the mistake of getting behind the wheel after they’ve had a few too many. This poor decision will only lead to one of three things: injury, penalty, or death, and you’re not the only one that you’re putting at risk.
There’s no concrete amount that’s safe to drink. Alcohol affects everyone differently, and what might get one person under .08 in blood alcohol concentration could send you over it.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to get home after you’ve had too many drinks, be sure to ask a friend or pay for a service like Uber or Lyft.
5. Speeding
As previously mentioned, Florida contains people from all different walks of life. That includes some of which that enjoy living on the edge and driving with a vengeance in the form of speeding.
Some drivers will purposely go upwards of 90 mph just to try and save themselves some time while driving.
However, the faster you’re going, the less time you have to make snap decisions. If you’re going 70 mph and someone cuts you off, you’ll have a second or two longer to adjust than if you were going 90 mph.
If you see someone speeding, pull over into the next lane. If you notice that you’re going too fast, then be sure to slow down. Not only could it prevent injury, but it could also save your life.
Avoid These Car Accident Reasons In Your Driving
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to control other people from avoiding these common car accident reasons. But you can be part of the change!
By avoiding all of these common mistakes, you can improve your chances of never being involved in a car accident. Even if you are, you can hire a car accident lawyer to protect yourself.
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on car crashes, as well as many other helpful topics.
