When a car accident takes place, the risk of secondary car accidents increases. These types of accidents occur when distracted drivers collide with cars that have been in an accident. These accidents can also take place when cars collide because drivers are too busy looking at the accident to focus on the road. While many secondary accidents are fender-benders, they can still lead to serious injuries, including broken bones and head injuries.

A campaign in Florida known as the Move it…Yes You Can Campaign aims to reduce the number of secondary accidents. This campaign specifically aims to convince drivers who have been in an accident to move the vehicle. About half of traffic congestion is due to car accidents and Florida state laws in fact require drivers who are involved in minor accidents with no injuries to make reasonable efforts to move their vehicles so that the cars involved in an accident will not cause other accidents or traffic congestion.

Many drivers are not aware of this law and are in fact reluctant to move their vehicles. Some drivers assume that moving their vehicles will remove evidence of negligence or will create legal problems. The Move it…Yes You Can Campaign hopes to raise education and awareness about Florida’s laws regarding this important issue.

If you have been in an accident where injuries or serious damage has occurred, you should not move your vehicle and you should encourage other drivers not to move their vehicles. Where serious injuries – such as head injuries, burn injuries, or spinal cord injuries – have taken place, investigators will be examining evidence and charges as well as legal suits may take place. In these cases, it is best not to move your car. Remain in place until emergency personnel arrive.

Luckily, most accidents are minor fender benders with no injuries. If you have been in such a minor accident in which all passengers and drivers are uninjured, move your car off the road and wait until the other driver moves his or her car off the road to exchange information and to resolve the situation. This simple action can help prevent further accidents and injuries.