traffic safety

Aggressive Driving Leading Cause of “Accidents” in SWFL

March 3, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

We recently reported on the record number of traffic deaths on the roads of Southwest Florida last year.

WGCU reported Lee County had the second-highest number of traffic deaths on record in 2022.

At least 123 motorists lost their lives on Lee County roads in 2022, according to preliminary data. The highest annual total was reported in 2005, when 150 people were killed on local roads. The first two years of the pandemic saw 107 deaths in 2020 and 118 deaths in 2021.

Through more than 50 years of representing the injured, our car accident attorneys know all too well that most serious and fatal traffic collisions are not “accidents.” They are avoidable. And they occur because of negligent behavior on the part of one or more drivers.

SWFL Road Risks at Record Highs

January 31, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Collision risks on the roads of Southwest Florida were at record highs in 2022.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is projecting a slight decline in traffic deaths nationwide last year, as well as a slight decrease in Florida, the same cannot be said for Southwest Florida. While the reasons are not fully understood, statistics show road dangers have increased throughout the pandemic, despite fewer drivers on the roads. Reasons for the increased risks in Southwest Florida can be traced at least in part to nationwide increases in deaths on rural highways, collisions involving large trucks, and fatal accidents involving vulnerable road users, all of which are primary causes in our hometowns.

As we close out the first month of 2023, our car accident lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral are reviewing the risks, and will publish several additional blogs highlighting steps you can take to reduce the risks that you or a loved one will be involved in a serious or fatal traffic collision.

2022 Second-Deadliest on Record for Lee County Roads

January 1, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Lee County is closing out the year with the second-highest number of traffic fatalities on record.

It’s sobering news, particularly given the fact that the COVID pandemic has left many people working from home, and otherwise reduced the number of drivers on the roads of Southwest Florida.

However, despite the statistical reduction, motorists continue to complain of heavy traffic and long delays amid Hurricane Ian recovery efforts. The increasing number of road deaths mirrors trends nationwide, although safety advocates are still trying to determine all of the factors blamed for increasing road risks. Certainly shorter tempers and aggressive driving have played a role.

Pandemic Heightens Traffic Accident Risks

August 28, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted our world in surprising ways. Beyond the immediate effects of the virus on public health, other consequences are now being observed and documented. Early estimates show 2022 is likely to be among the deadliest years for drivers on the road in recent memory an unexpected data point in the stay-at-home era.

While far fewer miles have been traveled in recent years due to the rise of remote work during the COVID pandemic, traffic safety advocates continue to grapple with the increased risk of serious and fatal auto collisions on US roadways.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 9,560 people died in the first quarter of 2022. Considering the last three months of the year are typically the deadliest, the nation could see 40,000 traffic deaths for the first time since 1963. Continue reading ›

Safe Driving Best Protection from Summer’s 100 Deadliest Days

June 28, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the 100 Deadliest Days for travel. While gas prices are at record highs, there are no indications that families are cutting back on travel plans this summer after two years of pandemic related isolation and restrictions.

Our car accident lawyers and Fort Myers have been representing families dealing with the serious injury or death of a loved one in Southwest Florida for more than half a century. In most cases, these “accidents” are entirely preventable. In fact, they are most often caused by the same dangerous driving behaviors we see over, and over, and over again. We have written about them often, but we encourage you to take a moment to read them and make safe driving a topic of family conversation. There are real, concrete steps each driver in your household can take to drastically reduce the chances of being involved in a life-altering motor vehicle collision.

Florida Lawmakers Pushed to Pass Seat-Belt Law for All Passengers

July 9, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

It’s no secret that seat belts save lives. But new research highlights the real-world impact for front- and rear-seat passengers, prompting safety advocates to encourage states to adopt laws that address backseat seat-belt use.

Florida is among the states that only require seat belt use of front-seat passengers.

Our car accident attorneys on Fort Myers and Cape Coral have frequently noted Florida’s lax safety standards – from lack of adequate distracted driving laws to the state’s rock-bottom minimum insurance requirements of just $10,000, Florida is among the worst states in the nation when it comes to mandating good traffic-safety habits.

SWFL Streets No Safer Despite COVID

April 25, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

It’s official. COVID has not made the streets of Southwest Florida any safer.

The News-Press reported there were more than 100 traffic fatalities last year in Lee County, despite the drastic traffic reductions that resulted from COVID restrictions through high season and the summer months.

It was the 10th time since 2000 that Lee County recorded more than 100 traffic deaths in a year, but the first time since 2017. So, statistically, road risks actually increased during the pandemic, despite the travel restrictions and business closures.

As our injury lawyers in Fort Myers have pointed out here on our blog, vulnerable road users continue to be at highest risk and are overrepresented in the statistics. There were 22 Lee County pedestrians killed in crashes in 2020, 18 motorcyclists and eight bicyclists. That accounts for nearly half of the total number of fatalities. All totaled, there were 107 Lee County drivers killed in 94 fatal crashes in 2020.

Eleven of the 98 fatal crashes were hit-and-runs and a high number of fatal crashes were blamed on speeding.

Happy New Year – Staying Safe in Southwest Florida

January 10, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Happy New Year!

All of us at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, wish you a safe and peaceful start to 2021. Most of us were not sorry to see the end of 2020, and have hopes that 2021 will bring a new beginning as much of the world seeks vaccination from the coronavirus and a return to normalcy.

Speaking of normal, perhaps you have noticed a significant increase in traffic on the roads of Southwest Florida. While the holiday shopping season seemed unusually tame, heavy traffic has signaled the start of the new year and the height of tourism season in Southwest Florida. Schools are back in session, winter residents have arrived and an increasing number of tourists continue to arrive at destination locations throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.

COVID Collisions a Consequence of Quarantine

October 19, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

More than six months into the coronavirus pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on road safety is still being studied. Certainly there was a marked drop in traffic collisions through the spring and early summer, as lockdown orders shuttered bars, restaurants and all but essential businesses and most of Southwest Florida sheltered in place.

But with Gov. Ron DeSantis lifting remaining restrictions at the start of October, and the height of tourism season right around the corner, there is growing evidence that the roads of Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties are once again getting more dangerous.

And perhaps in new ways.

Traffic Accident Risks Impacted by Driver Attitudes

July 30, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has issued its 22nd annual “Traffic Safety Culture Index,” which aims to measure the prevalence of common road risks, and drivers’ reactions to them.

The study measures drivers’ perceived danger, risk of getting caught, perceived social approval for risky driving, and their support for laws and policies designed to curtail such risks.

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know the vast majority of traffic “accidents,” are in reality caused by one or more driver errors or poor driving behaviors. Measuring perception helps tell safety advocates where to best focus their attention and public awareness campaigns.