On average, there are over 6 million passenger car accidents in the United States every year, resulting in more than 38,000 deaths each year. In 2021, there were over 401,000 car accidents in Florida, and the statistics for 2022 are trending in the same direction. These statistics speak to the fact that drivers face risk when they get behind the wheel. There are variations when it comes to the severity of motor vehicle accidents and there are different types, each unique in its circumstances.
Car Accidents
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you should always be thinking about the safety of yourself and your passengers first. That sometimes this can be confusing, especially when the accident has occurred on busy roadways and the vehicles are still on those roads. If possible, move the vehicles and parties to the shoulder or into an adjacent lot.
There are things that you can do in the aftermath of a car accident to help you going forward. First, contact the police and seek medical attention as soon as is practical, even if you don’t feel as though you need it. Injuries could take hours or days before manifesting and the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you can recover. It also benefits you as it proves that your injuries were caused by the accident.
You also need to contact a lawyer that specializes in motor vehicle accidents, such as Burnett Law, P.A. You should use your cell phone to take videos and photos of relevant things, like the vehicles, the scene and people’s conditions. It’s important to remain quiet after an accident, even though you might feel the desire to talk about it. You may say something that could be injurious to any future legal proceedings.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle rider fatality rates in Florida are among the worst in the country and when motorcycles collide with other vehicles, it’s almost always the rider who suffers the most serious injuries. Because of the vehicle’s design, severe injuries are common, even when riders are wearing helmets and other protective gear.
Traumatic brain injury and neck and spine injuries are common as riders are prone to being thrown off of their motorcycles in an accident. Injuries to the pelvis and hips are also common because of how riders straddle their bikes. Amputations can also occur, as a rider’s limbs can be thrown into the wreckage or something else, like a guardrail, with tremendous speed.
Trucking Accidents
When large trucks are on the road and loaded with product, they can weigh more than 10,000 pounds and their sheer size and weight has the propensity to cause much greater damage than another type of accident. Like other drivers, truckers are prone to the same type of distractive behavior, such as texting, that can lead to accidents.
While distracted driving accounts for some accidents, driving under the influence, fatigue and speeding account for others. Often, these factors overlap, resulting in serious accidents.
Compared to commercial truck accidents in other states, Florida’s semi-truck accident rate is higher than the national average. Because trucks are 20 to 30 times bigger than average cars, it is usually the occupants of these other vehicles who suffer the most severe injuries.
Bicycle Accidents
Even though there are bicycle lanes built into roads, the inherent risk to cyclists still exists. Sometimes, cyclists are injured because of the careless or reckless actions of a driver. Duty of Care is a key concept when it comes to bicycle-involved motor vehicle accidents because it speaks to the idea that drivers owe one another due respect and proceed in a reasonably careful manner, regarding other entities on the road.
Driving habits can help or harm people when they’re on the road. Driving defensively is a good technique that can keep you ahead of trouble on the road. Still, things happen fast and sometimes you can’t avoid an accident. The best thing that drivers and adjacent pedestrians can do is to apply a singular focus to the task at hand. The more drivers’ minds are focused solely on the decisions to be made, the safer everybody is.
