Top Causes of Traffic Accidents & How to Avoid Them

In 2024, there were over 286,000 traffic accidents in Florida and 2,215 traffic fatalities, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Understanding the common causes of these accidents is important so you can drive safely on Florida’s roadways and prevent accidents whenever possible. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, our Brevard County accident attorney can help you recover damages for your injuries and expenses. Here are the top causes of car accidents in Florida:

Distracted Driving

FLHSMV estimates that there are more than 1,000 crashes caused by distracted driving every week in Florida. This makes distracted driving the most common cause of traffic accidents in Florida. It’s also one of the leading causes of traffic accidents in the US. Florida takes distracted driving seriously, with laws such as Florida’s Ban on Texting and Driving that aim to help drivers pay attention on the road and prevent accidents. The law prevents drivers from manually typing multiple letters, numbers, or symbols into a wireless communication device while operating a moving vehicle. Texting and driving is a dangerous form of distracted driving, but there are other ways drivers can be distracted that may cause accidents. This includes eating, putting on makeup, helping young children or pets in the car, or navigating GPS while driving.

Driving Under the Influence

Driving under the influence causes about one-third of traffic accidents in the US. In Florida, 3,672 crashes have involved DUI as of October 2024. According to Florida law, driving under the influence is when someone operates a moving vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Level of .08 or higher. However, even one drink may affect your judgment and cause crashes, even if your BAC is lower than the state minimum. Preventing these accidents is easy: don’t drink and drive. Our Brevard County accident attorney can help you recover damages if you or a loved one have been injured in a drunk driving accident.

Drowsy Driving

Being tired behind the wheel is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your judgment is compromised when you’re exhausted, and you cannot react as you would if you were wide awake. This limits your mental capacity and makes it difficult to make quick decisions and comprehend the driving behaviors of others on the road. Pushing through your tiredness to get to your destination isn’t worth it. If you’re sleepy, pull off to the side of the road and take a break.

Speeding

Speeding can cause serious accidents, leading to fatalities and crashes with severe property damage. It’s harder to control your vehicle at high speeds, leading to roll-over crashes and high-impact collisions as you don’t have enough time to react to the hazards in front of you.

Careless Driving

Speeding is one form of careless driving, but there are other ways careless driving causes accidents. Failing to follow basic traffic laws, like stopping completely at a stop sign or red light, causes many preventable accidents. Other careless driving behaviors include:

• Weaving in and out of traffic.
• Cutting people off.
• Aggressive driving.
• Driving slow in the passing lane.
• Making illegal U-turns.
• Turning right on red when it’s not allowed.

Pay attention at intersections and make sure you read posted signage to ensure you can safely operate your vehicle.

Inclement Weather

Florida’s ever-changing weather (especially in the summer) can cause traffic accidents. Speeding on wet roads means you need more stopping distance to operate your vehicle safely. In addition, using your flashers in blinding rain instead of your headlights can make it difficult for other cars to see you. Driving during tropical storms and hurricanes also poses risks from falling debris and high winds. You should also never drive your vehicle through flood waters.

The Davies Law Firm: Brevard County Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, get to a safe place and seek medical attention. Then, speak with an experienced Brevard County accident attorney as soon as possible after getting into a car accident. Attorney Kathleen Davies can help you navigate communication and negotiations with your own insurance company and the other driver’s insurance. We don’t get paid unless we recover compensation for you. Schedule your free consultation here or call us at 855-688-4713 today.

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