South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
A 32-year-old driver from Plantation was killed over the weekend in a Fort Lauderdale car accident. It was a rollover car accident in which he was ejected from the vehicle.
According to the Sun Sentinel, it all happened on South Federal Highway just north of 595 right before midnight. He reportedly lost control of his vehicle and swerved off of the left side of the road. His car flipped onto its side, onto a median and it started to roll uncontrollably. The Broward Sheriff’s Office reports that the driver was not wearing his seat belt when the accident happened. The car stopped right on top of him. He was announced dead at the scene of the accident. The three passengers in the vehicle were transported to Broward Health Medical Center, and are doing okay.
Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that we’re all at some serious risks for rollover accidents. Despite the recent modifications and advancement in Electronic Stability Control (ESC), vehicles can flip over quite easily when not handled properly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are close to 30,000 rollover accidents that are reported each year. These accidents take the lives of more than 10,000, too! SUVs minivans and trucks are the most likely to be involved in these kinds of accidents, and these passengers are at the highest risks for injury and death in the event of one.
In 2003, more than 35 percent of deadly SUV collisions were the result of a rollover accident. During that same year, less than 16 percent of deadly passenger vehicle accidents were the result of a rollover accident.
SUVs are oftentimes narrow and tall. They have a higher center of gravity and they can carry more cargo. All of these factors make them more likely to rollover in the event of an accident.
Even with all of these statistics, about 40 percent of all Americans think that they’re safer in an SUV than in a passenger car. Another 50 percent of Americans don’t even take the weight of the load into consideration for the cause of these accidents. About 40 percent of Americans feel more powerful when they are driving or riding in an SUV.
Rollover Safety Tips:
-Watch your speed. Rollover accidents are more likely when traveling at a high rate of speed.
-Avoid drinking and driving. About half of all rollover accidents involve a drunk driver.
-Wear your seat belt. More than 70 percent of rollover accident fatalities were not buckled in at the time of the accident.
-Never overload your SUV.
-Be cautious when traveling along rural roadways. These accidents are more common here.
-Check out a vehicle’s safety rating before making a purchase.
-Make sure your vehicle’s tires are in good-working order.
-If your vehicle veers off the road, don’t brake suddenly – reduce speed gradually and ease back onto the road.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, contact the personal injury attorneys at Freeman & Mallard for a free and confidential consultation. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Passengers: Increasing Your Teen’s Risks for an Accident, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, October 19, 2012
Are Your Medications Setting You Up for an Accident?, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, September 16, 2012