Recently, the US Postal Service issues a news release, asking Florida drivers to pay more attention to their driving in order to avoid running into post offices. While distracted driving is a serious concern across the country, the US Postal Service warning may indicate that Miami car accidents and Florida car accidents caused by distracted driving may be an especial concern. Specifically speaking to Florida motorists, the US Postal Service offered a few tips to drivers to prevent collisions with buildings:
1) The US Postal Service asked drivers to check whether their foot was on the brake pedal or gas pedal. This tip may be because pedal mix-ups are a common cause of Miami traffic accidents and Florida car accidents. A Punta Gorda post office was hit this year because an elderly driver accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of hitting the brake. In that accident, the post office building was so damaged that the structural support of the building was affected.
2) The US Postal Service asked Florida motorists to check whether their car was in drive, reverse, or park before backing up and before getting out of the car. This warning may come after a number of motorists backed up into post office buildings while trying to move forward or crashed into the buildings while thinking they were in reverse.
3) The US Postal Service asked Florida drivers to void distracted driving. Distracted driving is a hot topic in Florida and there is little doubt among many safety experts that single-vehicle accidents where a car crashes into a building are often caused by driver inattention.
4) The US Postal Service asked Florida motorists to enter and leave parking spaces carefully. In many cases, drivers may wish to make a quick stop at a post office to run an errand, and in their hurry may make mistakes that lead to a Miami pedestrian accident or traffic accident.
According to the US Postal Service, 14 post offices have been hit by cars in Florida since the start of 2012. In many cases, the accidents seem to be caused by a lack of attention. In one Leesburg accident, for instance, a woman crashed into a post office because she was startled by something. A post office in Vero Beach was hit twice, once by a driver who crashed into the lobby and once by an elderly driver who was attempting to park when she accidentally drove over the curb and collided with the building. According to the US Postal Service, the two most common causes of these types of collisions are pedal mix-ups and acceleration when the driver mistakenly thinks the car is in reverse.
According to the Charlotte County Postmaster, the post office in Punta Gorda is hit yearly, and the problem is serious enough that the county is considering placing concrete poles in front of the building to protect the post office. It is unknown whether other post offices have this type of plan in place to prevent this unusual type of Florida and Miami truck accident.
If you have been injured in a Miami car accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group today to arrange for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation about your case. The Flaxman Law Group is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-866-FLAXMAN (1-866-352-9626) and has three offices conveniently located in Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood.