After traffic crash fatalities during the first quarter of the year declined by about 30 percent between 2006 to 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said last month that the number of deaths in the first three months of 2012 represented a 13.5 percent increase from the same period in 2011. On August 6, 2012, WPTV-TV reported that the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said traffic deaths are creeping up in Broward and Palm Beach counties as well. According to WPTV, the FHP said that as of July 31, 85 people died in accidents in Palm Beach County compared to 77 at the same time last year, and 106 have died in Broward County compared to 87 at the same time last year.
“I know for a fact distractions play a large role in traffic crashes,” FHP Lieutenant Tim Frith told WPTV. “We need to attack driver distraction like we did with DUI and seat belts.”
State Representative Irv Slosberg, whose daughter, Dori, died in an accident in 1996 when she was 14 years old, told WPTV that he “finds the uptick in traffic deaths a concern” and also suspects the numbers are up because of distracted driving. He told WPTV that no road safety laws have been passed in Florida in the past two years, and is now pursuing a law that would make it illegal for young drivers to text while driving.
“That’s a start,” Slosberg told WPTV. “When it comes to road safety, you would think this is a no-brainer. Let’s keep our roads safe.”
There are certainly other causes of auto accidents, and we will discuss the findings of another recent Florida study in our next blog post. You can find more information about wrongful death cases on our website, but you should know that you may be entitled to compensation if you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries in an accident caused by a distracted driver. You can contact our firm at (800) 235-7060 or complete the form on this page to let our Orlando personal injury attorneys review your case.
Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. – Orlando personal injury lawyers