When you go out for a drive, the last thing you want to think about is what will happen if you get into to an accident.
Unfortunately, car accidents are a reality that over 400,000 Floridians experienced in 2018 alone. Majority of these crashes left victims and participants with injuries and over 3,000 people lost their lives. Although the victims that survive may be eligible for compensation to deal with injuries or property damage, many people feel like the accident could have been preventable if the other driver wasn’t so careless.
You might be wondering why so many accidents happen in the first place. Here are five common reasons innocent people suffer due to the actions reckless drivers take each day:
- Driving while distracted: Far too many drivers have become comfortable with multitasking while driving. Even advanced voice-to-text technology or digital GPS systems meant to keep a driver’s hands on the wheel can create a distraction on their own. And when a driver spends time doing other activities behind the wheel, their alertness may decrease.
- Driving too fast: Drivers that go over the speed limit put others around them at risk. Let’s say you are near someone who is speeding and approach a red light or hazard. It will take longer for a super speedy driver to come to a stop. This increases the likelihood that they won’t be able to completely halt without hitting something in their path.
- Driving in poor weather conditions: Anytime someone’s visibility isn’t clear, driving becomes a risky activity. Many times, low visibility is out of a driver’s control because of weather conditions like rain. But the problem is there are drivers who won’t adjust to the unideal conditions and continue to cruise at or above the speed limit or refuse to turn on their headlights. There’s no telling if a driver may slip and slide in the rain, so it’s always safer to stay off the road or pull over in extreme weather conditions.
- Driving without care: It’s likely that you’ve come across a driver that has put you in a near-accident situation. Unfortunately, there are legally licensed individuals that act cautious during a driver’s test but treat the actual road like they are in a racing video game.
- Driving while impaired: Another form of negligent driving that people in Florida and across the country take part in is in impaired driving. Consuming alcohol, doing drugs and being drowsy can all lead a someone to drive out of their lane or off the road.
It’s possible you can’t quite pinpoint how an accident you were recently involved in happened. No matter the cause, a personal injury attorney can help investigate your case and fight for your justice.