Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Seasonal traffic has hit the streets of Southwest Florida in force, despite COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic restrictions.
Since the holidays, there has been a noticeable increase in traffic and congestion. This alone, is enough to make the streets more dangerous. But when combined with visitors in rental cars, lost tourists, and other motorists who are unfamiliar with the roads, the risks increase exponentially. 
Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys begun the year with a look at the most common dangers on the road, including distracted driving. But perhaps the most under-appreciated risks include many common driving behaviors of which we are all guilty from time to time.
Traffic Infractions a Common Road Threat
When many people think of aggressive driving they think of road rage and angry hand gestures. But that’s a common misconception. Road rage is a group of behaviors that transgress into criminal offenses, including assault. In contrast, aggressive driving includes many types of common traffic infractions that can increase the risks of being involved in a motor vehicle collision.
Common aggressive driving behaviors include:
Speeding: By far the most common traffic infraction, speeding reduces reaction time, increases your chances of a collision, and exponentially increases the force of a collision when a crash does occur.
Tailgating: This is a common traffic infraction that becomes more prevalent with road congestion. Tailgaters have less time to react to traffic in front of them. Visibility is also impacted. In many cases, getting too close to a vehicle in front of you will even block your view of upcoming intersections and traffic control devices.
Failure to signal: Unfortunately, far too many drivers who engage in one or more of these behaviors also fail to use signals to let drivers around them know of their intentions. This prevents other drivers from taking evasive action that could avoid a collision.
Failure to yield: Broadside collisions are among the most dangerous because the sides of a vehicle are least able to withstand serious impact. These collisions are most often caused by a driver who fails to yield.
Vulnerable road users: Already most at risk, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorcycle riders are at even greater risk when dealing with an aggressive driver. Failure to yield to these users creates a high risk of a collision, which in most cases will lead to serious or fatal injury.
Causation in Personal Injury Collision Claims
Most collisions are not caused by a single factor. Instead, crashes are typically caused when one or more negligent behaviors, such as distraction and failure to yield, lead to a car “accident.”
In many cases, law enforcement at the scene will cite a driver for one or more driving infractions. But even then, all of the causes of a collision may not be documented. Consulting an experienced car accident attorney in Fort Myers or Cape Coral as soon as possible after a serious or fatal collision is the best thing you can do to protect your rights and the financial wellbeing of you and your family.
An experienced personal injury and wrongful death law firm will conduct and independent review of all of the factors that contributed to your collision and determine all of the parties responsible. Additionally, a comprehensive claim will include all of the costs associated with the collision, including lost work and the likelihood of future medical bills or disability stemming from your accident.
We urge you to take your time and keep your patience behind the wheel. A little extra care can go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe through the remainder of tourist season.
If you or a loved one is injured, call Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, at 1-800-646-1210.
