New data released has revealed that the intersection of Military Trail and Okeechobee Boulevard remains the intersection with the most amount of crashes in Palm Beach County since 2014.
According to the report, in 2018 there were 123 crashes at this intersection, which is 27 more crashes than the second most dangerous intersection listed in the data.
If you would like to read more about the report from Palm Beach County on the WPTV website click here.
What are some common causes of a car accident?
Most car accidents are due to driver negligence such as distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving etc. Listed below are the descriptions of the most common causes of car accidents. They are not listed in any specific order:
- Distracted driving: Distracted driving is an umbrella term that defines a lot of activities. The most common kind of distracted driving is texting, talking on the phone or eating/drinking. A new law in Florida just passed now defines texting while driving a primary offense. This law was implemented to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the road.
- Reckless Driving: Reckless driving puts other drivers at risk for a crash because they cannot anticipate the other drivers movements. This type of erratic behavior can be described as a vehicle speeding, cutting other cars off while changing lanes, changing lanes without their blinker and tailgating other cars.
- Speeding: Most drivers do not think about the increased risk in driving a little over the speed limit, but speeding is the leading cause of most fatal car crashes. Increasing speed means you have less time to react while driving which can lead to deadly car crashes and severe injuries.
- Rain: Although Florida is known as the sunshine state, we do get a lot of rain. Rain makes the road a lot slicker which makes for hazardous conditions for drivers. People who are most at risk to crash in the rain are drivers who do not reduce their speed to match the weather conditions, drivers with bald or bad tires, and drivers who do not know the proper way to steer out of a hydroplane.
- Drunk driving: Drunk driving kills over 10,000 people every year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Driving while intoxicated dramatically increases your likelihood of an accident. Even driving under a BAC of 0.08 (the nationwide legal limit) can increase drivers’ chance of a crash.
What should I do if I am involved in a car accident?
No one wants to believe that they will be involved in a car crash, but statistics show that most people will experience around three to four car accidents in their life. This is why it is important to know what to do if you are involved in a car accident and if you are injured as a result of that accident.
If you are involved in a car accident the first thing you need to do is stay at the crash sight. If you drive off from a crash sight you are then leaving the scene of an accident which is a crime. You should call 911 if you or anyone is seriously injured. According to Florida law, you are required to call the police if the car crash involves one of these circumstances:
- The car crash resulted in severe property damage.
- The car crash resulted in severe injuries or death.
- The driver appears they may be drunk or under the influence.
- The driver flees the scene of the crash site (this is a crime and needs to be investigated).
Once you establish that no one is injured and it is not a major crash you will want to move your car out of the way of traffic. Being in the way of moving cars is dangerous because another car could hit you making yet another accident and more injuries or property damage. You should then start to collect information like the other driver’s name, the year, make and model of their car, their insurance information and the names and contact information of any other witnesses of the crash. Take pictures of the damages and record the location where the accident occurred. You should also write down any details that might have factored into the cause of the crash such as the time of day, the weather conditions, or any hazardous material in the road.
It is important that if you do not choose to involve the police at the time of the accident, you should still report it as soon as possible. That being said, it is usually beneficial to involve the police at the time of the accident even if it is minor, especially if the other driver does not have insurance. If you would like to read more about car accidents and how our attorneys can help, visit our car accident page here. Contact us today if you seek legal assistance.
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