Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Florida Gets Poor Grade for Roadway Safety

Published on: February 23, 2016 | By Flaxman Law Group

Florida has many excellent distinctions. We have some of the best weather, best beaches, and among the most beautiful scenery in the country. Florida residents are largely well-educated, kind, and talented. It’s easy to be proud of a state like ours. After all, millions of people from around the world come to visit us each year.

Unfortunately, according to the organization Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, we have one additional distinction, and this one is not so praise-worthy. According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Florida is among the worst states in this country when it comes to traffic safety.

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How Speed Causes Catastrophic Car Crashes

Published on: October 21, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Speeding is a major hazard on Hollywood and South Florida roads. Studies suggest that each 1 km/hour increase in speed can increase accident risk an average of 3%. Speed limits are carefully set in Hollywood and other communities. Usually, engineers consider terrain, average speeds of drivers in an area, visibility, and traffic flow when deciding posted speed limits. When motorists exceed these safe speeds, they put themselves and others in danger.

People speed for any number of reasons: impatience, road rage, and distraction. There’s no reason for speeding, however. The rules of the road – including speed limits – apply to all drivers for a reason.

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Deer and Car Accidents: What You Need to Know at This Time of Year

Published on: October 9, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

First, the good news: if you live in Florida, you don’t have to worry about deer on the roads as much. A recently published report found that the state is in the bottom five states when it comes to deer crashes. The odds of being in a car crash involving a deer are about 1 in 930.

Here’s the bad news: the chances of being in a car accident involving deer more than double in October, November, and December. Fall is the start of deer mating season, so deer are more on the move. In addition, it’s also hunting season and harvesting season for some crops, which also can move deer out onto roadways.

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Preventing Wrong-Way Collisions in Florida

Published on: March 27, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Wrong-way car accidents in Homestead and other Florida communities result in serious injuries and fatalities each year, and are highly preventable collisions. Florida ranks third in the nation when it comes to wrong-way accident deaths. These types of crashes are often caused by drunk driving or distracted driving, but authorities have noted that in many cases it is difficult to catch a driver headed the wrong way until a collision occurs.

Types of Wrong Way Crashes

Wrong way car accidents can cause serious and fatal injuries. Often, a drunk driver will be heading the wrong way at high speeds, so the force of the collision is significant enough to cause serious damage. In addition, these collisions tend to happen on ramps, where cars are still traveling at higher speeds because they are entering or leaving highways.

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Police Pursuits and Car Accidents: What You Need to Know

Published on: December 23, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Police pursuits often make the news and while they may look dramatic, they are extremely dangerous for people nearby. Each year, these chases lead to car collisions in Miami and other cities. While police pursuits may be important in order to stop criminals, they can also be a huge danger for everyone on the road.

One 2004 study examined crashes involving police vehicles between 1994 and 2002. Researchers gathered data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and found that there were 2654 fatal police-pursuit-related collisions during the time frame, with about 3146 fatalities. About 1088 of these fatalities involved people who were not in the vehicle being pursued by police. According to researchers, most of the drivers fleeing from police had prior convictions and most of the chases occurred on local roads and at night. Most of the fatalities involved high speeds. Traffic-related deaths were the most common cause of police activity related fatalities.

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Wrong Way Accidents Preventable, But Far Too Common in Florida

Published on: November 19, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Wrong way accidents in Homestead, Tampa, and other Florida cities are a major cause of concern. In the past year, for example, in the Tampa area eleven people were killed in wrong way collisions on just a few sections of the same highway. According to local authorities, wrong way accidents are a common problem in the area as well as in other communities.

According to experts, there are several issues that could contribute to wrong way accidents:

1) Poor road design. Road design that allows cars easily cross barriers or drive the wrong way on streets can contribute to wrong way accidents. In addition, unclear road markings can also mean that drivers end up driving on the wrong side of the road.

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