The government estimates that the number of car accident deaths during the period last year from January through September rose by twelve percent compared to the same time frame in 2020, a rise which was the highest recorded in over forty years, the greatest rise since the government’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System began monitoring traffic deaths. In fact, the number of car accident deaths of the year’s first nine months was the highest during those months since 2006. As expected, Florida, which was one of the first states to lift pandemic restrictions, was one of the states which lead the rise in traffic accident deaths. The rise in fatalities correlates to 1.36 traffic deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven, which statistically was a slight rise from the 1.35 per miles traveled measured in 2020. Interestingly, the deadly rise diminished during the third quarter of 2021 versus the same quarter of 2020.

In light of this shocking rise, the Department of Transportation vowed to roll out a nationwide plan, called the National Roadway Safety Strategy, in hopes of reversing this deadly trend. Specifically, part of the recently passed infrastructure law will encourage states to build safer roads, with dedicated bicycle and bus lanes, increase lighting along rural roads and install more crosswalks. Given the difficulties local police departments are having deploying officers for traffic patrols, plans also call for installation of speed cameras, which are disfavored by motorists, but provide for greater and more cost-effective speed enforcement. Evidence is clear that reducing speeding motorists correlates to an equivalent drop in violent crashes, meaning lives are saved.

The primary components of the Roadway Safety Strategy, according to the plan put out, including:

• Safer People: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed.
• Safer Roads: Design roadway environments to mitigate human mistakes and account for injury tolerances, to encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users.
• Safer Vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants.
• Safer Speeds: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, context-appropriate roadway design, targeted education and outreach campaigns, and enforcement.
• Post-Crash Care: Enhance the survivability of crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care, while creating a safe working environment for vital first responders and preventing secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices.

As personal injury attorneys helping seriously injured car accident victims across Florida, we applaud and encourage the government’s efforts to reduce deadly car accidents, which is why we remind everyone to focus on driving safety and avoid using cell phones while driving.

While safety advocates had hoped for a silver-lining during Covid, that a significant drop in vehicular traffic would result in an equally impactful drop in car accident deaths; the sad part is that those who choose to drive during the lockdowns actually demonstrated riskier driving behavior, including driving at high speeds. The dangerous driving was also documented by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which confirmed that more speeding meant deadlier crashes. Those findings seem out of place when looking back at Florida’s March and April, 2020, state of emergency and stay-at-home orders.

Most observers point to Covid-19 as significant contributing factor in the rise in deadly crashes – a statistic which is omitted from the Covid-19 reported death numbers. The safety council calculated that Americans drove nearly thirteen percent less over the past year; yet, the rate of driving deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven increased by nearly twenty-five percent to 1.49, the greatest percentage increase in over 100 years.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet reported their official full-year traffic accident statistics, initial evaluations found a similar dramatic rise in the rate of car accident deaths last year. To better understand the implications of the pandemic’s affect upon traffic deaths, the Insurance Institute, the Governors Highway Safety Association and the National Road Safety Foundation, are joining forces to commence statewide projects meant to reduce excessive speeding.

The findings in the United States are shocking especially when compared to other developed countries, which had by contrast a significant drop in car accidents car accident deaths over the past year. And of course, Florida’s reputation for dangerous drivers was verified as our state was one of the deadliest during the past year. Last year more than 3,300 drivers, pedestrians or passengers died in car accidents across the State. In fact, there were over 340,000 car accidents in Florida during 2020, with an additional 212,122 reported injuries. While the number of total car accidents dropped from 2019’s number of 401,893, the number of deaths rose by nearly ten percent, which confirms the severity of those crashes.

The National Safety Council is advocating for a number of safety measures to help combat reckless driving as the country begins to climb out of the pandemic, including breath-test ignition locks for convicted drunk drivers, reducing speed limits and greater enforcement of laws which ban texting and cellphone use while driving. Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer Joseph Lipsky also reminds his fellow Floridians to always use your seat-belt and place children in properly installed car seats. He also urges all motorcycle riders to wear approved helmets, as they are nearly forty percent effective in preventing deadly injuries to motorcycle drivers and their passengers.

The study which was commissioned due to the alarming increase in the number of deadly car accidents across America. The results were surprising because after a number of years of steady declines, car accidents resulting in wrongful deaths are again on the rise. The study analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2016, which monitored the number of car accident deaths happened across Florida, including Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Key West, by day and time.

The study revealed that of the nearly 40,000 car accident deaths in 2016, almost 7000 happened on a Saturday. That means, Saturday saw a more than fifty percent greater number of roadway accident deaths that those which occurred on the safest day of the week, Tuesday. The data also revealed that that Friday’s and Sunday’s were in a near draw as the second most deadly driving day.

The data proved that the late afternoon drive, when most people are leaving work, was more deadly than the morning commute to work, with the most deadly time for drivers between 4 and 7 p.m. It is hard to imagine, but the afternoon drive had a nearly 90% higher number of car accident deaths when compared to the morning drive to work. Not surprisingly, the period from 7 to 10 p.m. was the second deadliest with over 6,000 car accident deaths.

One of the most prevalent factors in wrongful death car accidents which happen in the afternoon and evening was, drunken or impaired driving. Drunk driving played a role in nearly 11,000 car accident deaths in 2016, which was almost 1/3^rd of all car accident related deaths in 2016. The number of alcohol related deaths, almost 30 per day, is staggering considering the aggressive efforts by law enforcement with check-points and on-going education by groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, whose goal remains to stop drunk and impaired driving.

The number of drunk drivers dovetails with the number of evening deadly car accidents, with nearly 4 times the number of impaired drivers on the road in the evening compared to the day. The months in which drunk drivers are involved in deadly car accidents varies as the months of July, May and October have about the same number of fatal crashes.

The next most common factor involved in deadly Florida car accidents remains driver speed. According to the study, speeding was a factor in more than 10,000 people dying in car accidents in 2016. That staggering number accounts for more than twenty-five percent of a deadly car accidents. Needless to say, speeding and other aggressive driving greatly raises the chances of a driver losing control of a vehicle and having a crash which leads to a loss of life.

As a Plantation personal injury lawyer, Joseph Lipsky can only hope his fellow motorists remember that a moment of carelessness behind the wheel can have life-altering complications for others. We can only hope that due to the rapid growth of ride share companies like Uber and Lyft that drivers will think before they get behind the wheel after having any drinks.

The rise in deadly crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that the increase to nearly 38,000 victims last year, is due to a number of reasons including speeding and the lack of seat belt use. The steady increase in accident deaths reverses what had been a steady drop from 2007 through 2014. While the researchers expected deadly car accidents to decrease given the increased use of so-called autonomous driving being installed in many vehicles, what they did not anticipate was that distracted driving, caused by drivers’ use of advances in vehicle technology are actually making it easier for drivers to be distracted.

Also, speeding and driver carelessness were responsible for a nearly 5% rise in deadly car accidents. Sadly, pedestrians being struck and killed by drivers rose nearly 10% over the past year. As expected, drunk driving accidents were to blame for nearly a 2 percent rise.

The government copes that the inclusion of automatic braking, rear cameras, lane departure warnings and better air bags will eventually help stem the tide against the rising number of deaths by making vehicles safer. But as the AAA determined in a recent study, giving drivers access to more technology, particularly touch screens, with their dozens of driver assistance features, actually results in motorist taking their eyes off the roadway for dangerous and prolonged periods of time. Those distracted motorists alone accounted for nearly 9% of the deadly car accidents. The AAA believes that vehicle manufacturers should restrict driver access to many features while a vehicle is in motion.

In particular, the AAA would like manufactures to limit use of social media and communications such as email and text. Unlike rather routine use of vehicle controls to change the air conditioning or change a radio station, never vehicles have become so sophisticated that drivers must take their hands of the steering wheel, and eyes off the road for a dangerous amount of time in order to accomplish tasks such as using a car’s navigation system or check a text message.

In fact, testing revealed that all vehicles required a high degree of driver attention to use their infotainment systems. Given prior research shows that when drivers are distracted, even by two seconds, their risk of being in a collision nearly doubles. So, when manufactures allow drivers to text while a vehicle is in motion, they are condoning an activity they know is likely to result in a crash.

We agree with the AAA that motorists should only be able to use vehicle technology for legitimate emergencies or urgent, driving-related purposes, which clearly does not include texting.

As everyone who suffers through the daily drive upon Florida’s highways, including the Florida Turnpike, I-75, I-95 and SR 826 knows, the study could only have one “winner” once it analyzed all the data. Incredibly, while most drivers think they drive well, the data reveals that that is not the case. In Florida, that data shows that our reputation is well earned. Florida’s drivers “won” for the 2^nd year in a row, a dubious honor as the nations’ worst. Florida’s honor is attributed to the number of deadly car accidents, ranking 9^th in the nation and we also had the 9^th greatest number of internet searches for traffic tickets. Surprisingly, Florida ranked at the bottom regarding the number of DUI arrest.

In addition to being the state with the worst drivers, Florida also has the most dangerous road, U.S. 1. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, U.S. 1 has a fatality rate of 2.8, with more than 1,011 car accidents with more than 1,000 wrongful deaths over the past ten years. Not too far behind I-95 running through Broward and Miami-Dade Counties with a fatality rate of 1.73 accidents per mile.

Many of the study’s findings are common sense, such as proving that states with more drivers driving more miles have a greater numbers of deadly car accidents, and those more populated states have more uninsured drivers. Given the rising costs of car insurance, it is not surprising that more drivers disregard the law and drive without insurance. It is this precise reason why we always tell our clients and friends to purchase as much uninsured motorist coverage as they can afford, to protect themselves from dangerous uninsured drivers. As Sergeant Esterhaus always said in Hill Street Blues, “let’s be careful out there,” and hopefully next year, Florida will not win this distinction again.

The actual statistics are truly concerning. The AAA’s study revealed that sixty percent of Millenial drivers actually admit to sending a text or email while operating a motor vehicle. That admitted rate is nearly twice as high as all other age groups of drivers. Also, almost 50% of Millenials admitted to running a red light, one they could have easily stopped for, a rate that is almost 25% greater than other age groups.

Millennials also admit to regularly driving more than 10 m.p.h. over the posted speed limits in school zones. That behavior which endangers children and demonstrates a disregard of some of the most costly traffic ticket consequences is a rate which is more than double that of all other age groups of drivers. We, as Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers, share the same concerns as the AAA; that a large population of drivers is willing to regularly take unnecessary risks which needlessly increase the chance of being in a deadly car accident. Considering fatal car accident deaths rose more than 7% over the last year, this accepted recklessness should be truly concerning to Florida drivers.

The most frustrating part of the AAA’s study is that while almost all drivers agree that aggressive and distracted driving is not acceptable behavior, they themselves regularly drive in such a reckless manner. In fact, while 80% of motorists feel that texting while driving is completely unacceptable, more than 40% of those same drivers admit to sending a text while driving within the past month. A similar percentage holds true regarding drivers’ feelings about those who operate a vehicle while sleepy, with 80% of those in the study calling the behavior unacceptable; but, nearly 30% of those same drivers admitting to driving while having trouble keeping awake within the last month.

Finally, while a majority of drivers agree that the legal limit for drunk driving should be reduced from .08 to .05%, almost three percent of those same drivers admitted, unbelievably, to smoking pot or drinking and the getting behind the wheel of a car.

As a Miami car accident lawyer who helps seriously injured victims of distracted driving crashes, we hope our fellow motorist start to practice what they preach, but not doing the dangerous driving behavior they believe and know they should not.

The updated Arrive Alive campaign is a statewide safety program which brings together the resources of all police departments and the Department of Transportation, who with the use of real-time data hope to stem the residing tide of deadly car accidents. The State moved forward with its initiative after recent statistics demonstrated a rapid rise in Florida car accident caused wrongful deaths, increasing from 2500 in 2014, to more than 3000 in 2016. Incredibly, nearly 150 people have needlessly lost their lives on Florida’s roadways this year.

Not surprisingly, Florida is not alone in experiencing a rise in deadly car accidents. Nationally, car accident wrongful deaths increased more than 7 percent of the same time period. Yet, multiple studies show that Florida’s roads, due to a lack of safety laws, remains a leader in dangerousness. Some of the needed safety laws include police enforcement of passenger seat belt usage, mandatory motorcycle helmet use and a ban on texting while driving.

The Advocates report says Florida is missing a rear primary enforcement seat belt law, all rider-motorcycle helmet law, booster seat law, five of the seven teen driving provisions it recommends, an ignition interlock law, and an all-driver text messaging restriction. Although the Arrive Alive program is not advocating for these needed safe driving laws, as a Miami personal injury lawyer, Joseph Lipsky suggests the Florida legislature take action in passing laws which will save lives.

As for the Florida’s Arrive Alive campaign, Florida law enforcement intends to spend their resources and efforts on increased police presence, driver education and road improvements. According to the statement from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “The Arrive Alive initiative will incorporate law enforcement presence, media outreach and road safety assessments in high crash and high crime areas through a strategic and data driven approach. This approach will be shared with partners and will guide all activity throughout the initiative to ensure resources are targeted in the appropriate areas.” We certainly welcome any statewide effort to reduce car accidents and wrongful deaths, and hope our fellow drivers recognize the dangers which are present on Florida’s roads, and Arrive Alive.

As Ford says, the defect which affects 2016 – 2016 Fusions, 2013 – 2015 Lincoln MKZ’s and 2015 – 2016 Mondeo’s “may inadequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing risk of injury,” resulting in personal injuries which the seat belts were designed to prevent. To date, this known defect has resulted in at least two separate injuries. Ford’s recall is supposed to commence in early January 2017. The anticipated repair will involve a Ford dealer mechanic injecting an insulating coating around the anchor. The coating will keep the anchor cool, allowing the seat belt to restrain the occupant as designed in the event of a car accident.

According to the Centers for Disease Control not only do seat belts prevent vehicle occupants from being thrown from their vehicle during a crash, as evidenced by research of traffic death statistics which demonstrates that occupants not using seat belts are nearly thirty times more likely to be thrown from a vehicle during a crash. Not surprisingly, almost 75% of people thrown from a vehicle during a wreck are likely to suffer fatal injuries. Considering over 15,000 people’s lives are saved each year by seat belt use, Ford’s faulty design jeopardizes hundreds of thousands of vehicle occupants’ lives safety. Additionally, failing to use a seat belt greatly increases the likelihood of serious injuries caused by vehicle occupants striking the dashboard and windshield.

Due to the likelihood of injury and death, Miami personal injury attorney Joseph Lipsky recommends owners of the Ford vehicles identified as having this problem, do not drive their vehicles until after the recall repair is completed. While this may be an inconvenience, the overriding benefit to potentially saving a life or minimizing an injury certainly outweigh that.

While investigators are not able to point to a specific reason why traffic deaths rose last year, it is believed that low gas prices put more motorists driving more miles on roads across the country. Additionally, as is certainly known, the increase in driver distraction, particularly texting while driving is certainly a contributing cause. The number of deadly crashes rose despite ongoing safety efforts by the NHTSA, such as attempts to accelerate technology which may avert sleepy driving. The agency also announced additional initiatives to change driver behavior as it pertains to fighting drunk, impaired and aggressive driving.

Although common sense dictates that all vehicle occupants should be able to reach their destinations safe and alive, especially with the prevalence and use of so-called autonomous vehicle systems, such as automated braking and stability control, inattentive driver behavior remains a compelling reason for deadly crashes. Although, the recent death of a motorist who was apparently watching a movie while using his vehicle’s auto pilot feature last week, reminds us that accident prevention technology has serious limitations in its effectiveness.

In light of the unfortunate increase in deadly accidents Ft. Lauderdale personal injury attorney Joseph Lipsky certainly hopes his fellow motorists consider how their actions can change the lives of others in a moment of carelessness. Driving while impaired or distracted by texting is behavior which must all motorists must take an active role in preventing.