Fort Walton Beach Personal Injury Law Blog

There are many reasons why car accidents happen, but human error is the leading cause. The choices that Florida drivers make behind the wheel matter, and when they are negligent or reckless, these choices can needlessly endanger others. One of the most common poor choices drivers make is to get behind the wheel while impaired, greatly increasing the chance of car accidents.

Impaired driving encompasses a wide range of behaviors. It includes anything that affects a driver's focus, causes the removal of hands from the wheel or affects cognition and decision-making ability. There is no excuse for this type of negligence, and a driver is responsible for the ways his or her choices affect others. If you are the victim of an accident caused by an impaired driver, you do not have to suffer through the aftermath in silence.

Commercial vehicle drivers in Florida may know about the International Roadcheck, a 72-hour inspection spree that the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance holds every year to enforce federal truck safety regulations. The CVSA has announced that the 2020 roadcheck will take place from May 5 to 7: a full month earlier than usual for the sake of more favorable weather conditions.

As with previous years, the 2020 roadcheck will consist of mostly North American Standard Level I inspections. These 37-point inspections cover virtually every part of a truck, including the braking system, exhaust system, driveline components, suspension, steering, tires, lights and fuel system. Proper cargo securement is another area covered by this most comprehensive of all federal inspections.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is responsible for implementing and enforcing commercial vehicle regulations that are designed to protect road users in Florida and around the country. Regulating industries that are vital to the nation's economic well-being effectively can only be accomplished if the government agencies involved have relevant and accurate data to work with, but the FMCSA still relies on information provided by a large truck crash study conducted in 2003.

Much has changed since then, and the FMCSA understands that the data it currently uses was produced before cellphones were in wide use and semi-autonomous vehicle safety technologies like automatic emergency braking and lane departure systems were introduced. The FMCSA plans to conduct another commercial vehicle accident study to bridge this information gap, and a proposal from the agency published in the Federal Register on Jan. 15 asks for input on how the effort should be designed and conducted.

Florida residents who speed quickly through red lights may be aware of red light camera programs in their communities. Red light cameras are designed to take a picture of those who run a red light. These pictures are then sent with a citation to the driver.

Critics say that red light cameras are merely used as a source of revenue for states while advocates for the cameras say that they reduce accidents and fatalities. Both sides are partially true. Some cities, such as Chicago, have been criticized for having the shortest allowable times for yellow lights while having the highest usage of a red light system in the country. This potentially results in profitable revenue for the city.