Traveling by automobile has been the way of the world for the last 100 years or so. The vehicle, until very recently, was entirely operated by human beings. Now there are automated programs which have had limited success. Anytime a vehicle takes to the road, there is a possibility of an accident.
People make mistakes in judgment. They get impatient or irrational when dealing with traffic. They misjudge oncoming traffic or don’t account for another driver’s behavior. All of these things can lead to an accident. Impaired driving can also be a major contributing factor in auto accidents.
According to Angela O’Neil, an injury attorney in Melbourne, FL., accidents saw a slight dip in 2023. “In 2022 there were an estimated 401,540 car accidents in the state of Florida. Last year there were 390,700 accidents. Although this is a large number, the dip is encouraging.”
The good news is that less than 1% of all accidents in the state of Florida involve fatalities. This means that safety measures such as airbags and crumple zones are having a good effect. Auto manufacturers are always on the lookout for new ways to make their vehicles safer. Newer cars include cameras on all sides of the vehicle as well as audible alerts that sound when a vehicle is too close to another.
The State of Florida is what is known as a “No Fault State”. This means that no matter whose fault the accident was, your insurance company will cover the immediate costs of the accident. They will then recoup the costs from the responsible party’s insurance company. This type of insurance helps alleviate some of the stress involved in vehicle accidents.
“Ideally, we would like to see the number of accidents decrease year over year. With a constant influx of new safety technology, we believe this is a very real possibility.” O’Neil said in our interview. “The State of Florida is home to one of the largest populations in the United States. Therefore, it is a great barometer for what is happening in any large state in the Union.”
Accidents will always exist. But with proper driver education and improved safety devices accidents can occur much less frequently and fatalities can be lessened.
