Data Shows Florida is Third State for Fatal Car Accidents
Boca Raton, FL – Labor Day marks the end of summer – for most of the country. But it also marks the second-worst weekend to be on the roads in the United States, averaging 448 deaths on the road each year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates 466 people may die on U.S. roads this Labor Day holiday period.
And in Florida specifically? Florida has ranked among the top deadliest states during the Labor Day weekend for the past decade, federal data shows. We ranked third behind California and Texas with 30 fatal car wrecks – based on a 2019 study.
Why so many accidents this weekend? Labor Day is the last of the summer holidays and a time when people are traveling to see family or vacationing.
This leads to traffic spikes, more fatigued drivers, speeding cars, night driving, and distracted driving. This on top of those that decide to drink and drive, and we have a recipe for disaster.
So how can you stay safe and hopefully avoid an accident? Personal Injury attorney Michael Pike, managing partner at Pike & Lustig, shares these tips.
- Don’t drink and drive. Motorists who will be attending parties or events where alcohol will be served should pick a designated driver or arrange for a ride home from a rideshare service. Also make sure you are hydrated after a long day at the beach.
- Don’t drive tired. A long weekend can be tiring. Make sure you are well rested and that your passenger is awake talking to you.
- Avoid distractions. This includes the phone and your passengers. Even with a car full of friends and family, the driver needs to focus on the road at all times. According to the NHTSA, it takes an average of five seconds to send or read a text. If the motorist is driving at a speed of 55 miles per hour, that is comparative to driving the length of an entire football field.
- Allow extra travel time and know your route. Motorists are likely to experience heavier than usual traffic, so they should give themselves extra time to reach their destination. This can avoid unnecessary speeding, tailgating, weaving in and out of lanes, and aggressive driving.
- Wear a seatbelt. When seatbelts are used properly, they are 45 percent effective at preventing fatalities to people in the front seats of a vehicle. With this information, the NSC predicted that seatbelts could have saved 170 lives this Labor Day weekend, and if everyone wore a seatbelt, 104 additional lives could have been saved.
- Drive defensively. Even the safest, most responsible driver cannot control how other motorists drive. Motorists should always pay close attention to the road, avoid tailgating, maintain a safe driving speed, and always use their signals properly.