Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Getting your kids to and from school can be the most dangerous part of their day. Car accidents in Hollywood and South Florida are a leading cause of injuries and accidents involving young children.
The extra traffic on the road during the school morning and afternoon rush can increase your risk of a car accident and if you are in a collision with your children in the car, they can be thrown around and may suffer serious head injuries, back injuries, and other serious injuries.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make the community safer:
- Know who’s dropping your children off: Whether you’re using carpool or having a family member drop off your children, make sure that the person driving is responsible and safe. If your children’s older siblings are driving, make sure that you have a talk with your teenagers about making good choices when they’re driving with their younger siblings.
- Use lots of care around school buses. Not all children have been taught to onboard and exit a bus safely. Expect children to run out in front of traffic or to make poor choices and be prepared for it.
- Be aware of pedestrians in school zones. Children walking to and from school pose another danger. They may be on skateboards, bikes, scooters, or on foot. Either way, they may be distracted by getting to school, maybe listening to music, or playing. While many have been taught about traffic safety by their parents, not all have. And even careful children will sometimes forget the rules they have learned. Be prepared for surprises when driving anywhere near a school zone and drive defensively.
- Slow down: Speeding in school zones results in costly fines and in the worst case scenario can cause a collision. Always give yourself extra time to drop off children at school early and drive within the posted speed limits, slowing down for bad weather.
- Use booster seats and age-appropriate safety systems: Place younger children in age-appropriate car seats until they age out of them. For older children, use a booster seat until they are tall enough to ride in the car without one. In either case, the safest spot for kids is the back.
- Keep children busy: Children can be a distraction for the driver if they are claiming they left their homework at the house or if they are squabbling. Give children a hand-held game or keep them distracted with a game or activity so you can keep your full focus on driving.
- Be careful of the sun: The sun can cause significant glare in the mornings and afternoons. Keep a space set of sunglasses in your car and use your vehicle’s sun shade to see clearly.
Has your child been injured in a car collision? Contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a Hollywood car accident attorney. Our legal team has offices in Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood so we can serve thousands of clients across the area. Contact us today to find out what compensation you may be able to seek for injuries and losses, so you can have the financial resources to help heal after a devastating injury.