Guardrails on Florida’s turnpike are saving lives and reducing the number of Palm Beach car accidents, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
The truth is Florida has an abysmal traffic safety record. As we reported on our South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, the state is touting new statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that show a steep decline in fatal accidents. The overall number of traffic fatalities declined 14 percent, from 2,983 in 2008 to 2,563 last year.
But, when statistics are released by the federal government, we expect Florida to join California and Texas as states with the highest numbers of car accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accident, drunk driving accidents, trucking accidents and boating accidents.
The reasons are many, but include the government’s failure to pass a distracted driving law and the dangerous condition of many Florida roads. The $65 million five-year project by the Florida Turnpike Enterprise is a perfect example. New barriers along 166 miles of median have immediately reduced traffic fatalities.
Terrific. Should have been done years ago. And those who are injured or killed because of accidents involving defective roads in Palm Beach deserve to be compensated for their injuries.
Here you have a road built by taxpayers — a toll road, no less — that has been the scene of 142 fatal accidents that have claimed 187 lives in the two years before the guardrails were installed. In the two years since the guardrails, the number of fatal accidents has fallen to 73, claiming 82 lives.
More than 100 people could have been saved by installing these guardrails sooner.Now that they have been installed, authorities are reporting a drastic reduction in cross-over crashes.
The guardrails were pushed for by Rep. Irv Slosberg, whose daughter died in a Boca Raton car accident in 1996.
Freeman & Mallard is a personal injury and wrongful death law firm dedicated to helping motorists who have been injured in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and the Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce areas. Call today for a free consultation. 1-800-529-2368.