South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
In a recent Stuart car accident, a woman was killed and residents throughout the area were left without power, according to the TC Palm.
It happened just before 3:00 a.m. when the 22-year-old driver’s vehicle slammed into a power pole on the 1800 block of Southeast Palm Beach Road, reports the Stuart Police Department. The impact of the collision split the passenger vehicle is two and took out that power pole. Nearly 100 customers with Florida Power & Light Co. were left without any electricity. Power was not restored for most customers until 11:00 a.m. the next morning. Everyone had power by 3:00 p.m. Local officers are still investigating the accident.
Our Stuart car accident lawyers understand that there were more than 22,000 occupants of passenger vehicles killed in car accidents throughout the country in 2010. According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 50 percent of the people lost in these accidents were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. Officials believe that this number could have been much lower if more motorists were to wear a seat belt during every car ride. Until then, officials will continue to campaign for the cause, urging everyone to buckle up.
According to officials, seat belt use reached nearly 90 percent in 2010, only increasing by 1 percent from the previous year.
Among those who were killed in car accidents in which restraint was known, the age group of 25- to 34-years-old had the highest percentage of unrestrained occupants killed, with nearly 3,500 being killed and more than 2,200 being unrestrained. The second highest group was those between the ages of 21- and 24-years-old. These young motorists were unrestrained more than 60 percent of the time.
What might be most alarming about these kinds of statistics is the number of small children who are lost because they were not buckled in during an accident. Our young ones rely on the responsibility of parents, guardians and other driving adults when riding in a motor vehicle. Because they can’t buckle in themselves, their safety relies on these individuals. Unfortunately, there were nearly 100 child passengers under the age of 4-years-old who were killed in car accidents in 2010 because they weren’t buckled it.
In the state of Florida, there were more than 1,400 motor vehicle occupants killed in car accidents in 2010. Of these fatalities, nearly 660 of them were restrained, nearly 710 were unrestrained and the status of nearly 40 was unknown. This means that our state has an observed seat belt use rate of about 87 percent.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a car accident in Stuart, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in South Florida, the personal injury lawyers at Freeman & Mallard can help you understand your rights and are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us now to set up a free and confidential review of your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Turnpike Accident in Tamarac Kills Pedestrian, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, June 9, 2012
Keeping Teens Safe in Stuart Car Accidents through Vehicle Selection, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, May 21, 2012