Many people agree that roads in Florida are sometimes a treacherous place. In fact, the odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 98 in a lifetime. On the other hand, your chances of dying in a plane crash are only 1 in 7,178 in a lifetime.
With those numbers in mind, how can you avoid a car crash?
Let’s take a look at some of the common reasons behind crashes first:
Did you know?
- In 2009, Pasco County had almost twice as many vehicles involved in fatal accidents than the Florida average.
Common reasons these crashes occur:
- Activities performed when making a phone call, such as reaching for a phone or dialing a number increases crash risk by 3 times.
- According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “17% of injury crashes in 2011 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.”
What are distraction affected crashes?
- Distractions include cell phones, food, drinks, and other passengers.
- Over 3,000 people were killed in a crash involving a distracted driver and an additional 387,000 injured by a distracted driver in 2011 alone.
- According to Distraction.gov, cell phones are often the leading cause of distraction with 12% of all drivers in fatal crashes reported to have been using one during the time of the crash.
Precautions to avoid crashes:
- Eliminate as many distractions as you can. This includes limiting, even extinguishing all cell phone usage!
- Avoid driving if you feel tired and attempt to control children in the back seat. Don’t allow them to fight or climb around the car, as this can be a source of distraction.
- Never drink and drive! In 2012, 10,322 people died in drunk driving crashes. Unfortunately, that’s one every 51 minutes! The average drunk driver reported to have driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest!
- Use caution when changing lanes, and look out for your car’s blind spot!
Here at Laporte, Mulligan & Werner-Watkins, we strive to keep our community members informed of the common safety measures needed on busy Florida roads. Help us to spread the word; send our blogs to your family members and friends. Help them stay safe on the road and avoid distracted driving by all means.