Accident Prevention

Subscribe to our Online Newsletter

West Palm Beach
(800) 780-8607
(561) 686-6300
(800) 220-7006 En Español

Tallahassee
(888) 549-7011
(850) 224-7600

Improved vehicle design, child restraints, seat belts, frontal air bags and other safety measures can reduce significantly your chances of being killed or injured in a motor vehicle crash.

The continuing decline in fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States can be attributed, in part, to seat belt laws, air bags, safer cars, better roads, and crackdowns on drunk driving.

Here is some good news from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• An estimated 13,250 lives were saved in 2008 by the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles. More than 75,000 lives have been spared by seat belt use over the last five years.
• More than 2,500 lives were saved in 2008 by frontal air bags.
• Nearly 2,000 lives were saved by motorcycle helmets.
• 714 lives (of 18, 19, and 20-year-olds) were saved by drinking laws that set the minimum legal drinking age at 21.
• 244 lives of children 4 and under were saved by child restraints.

The number one rule for motor vehicle safety: buckle up!

Experts agree that wearing a seat belt can make the difference between life and death. A national Safety Belt Law was passed in 1986, and all 50 states have enacted their own seat belt laws. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association:

• All 50 states and the District of Columbia have enacted specific requirements for infant and child safety seats since the national Child Restraint Law was passed in 1982.
• In 47 states and the District of Columbia, booster seats are required for children too large for infant seats, yet too small for adult seat belts. Only Arizona, Florida, and South Dakota have not passed these important safety measures.
• Five states – California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York – mandate seat belts on school buses. After 2010, this requirement will apply to school buses in Texas, as well.

In Florida, for example, here are the requirements for seat belts and child safety restraints.

Under Florida law, all front seat occupants – driver and passengers – must buckle up. Children between ages 6 and 17 must wear seat belts whether sitting in the front or back seats, and the driver is responsible for compliance. Each county imposes a set fine for seat belt violations. Yet, Florida’s seat belt compliance remains below the national average.

In accordance with national child restraint regulations, Florida law requires that:

• Children under 6 (that is, 5 and under), must be restrained.
• Through age 3, infants and toddlers must be in a separate car safety seat.
• A driver will be assessed points on his or her driver’s license, and there is a county-by-county fine for violating child restraint laws.

Using common sense and observing the laws about distracted driving can save the lives of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

In January 2009, the National Safety Council called for a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving. While such prohibitions are in place in nearly 50 other countries, there has been no such federal action in the United States.

However, heeding new evidence about the devastating impact of driver distractions, 19 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation banning texting while driving:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington

In addition, six states and the District of Columbia now prohibit hand-held devices, including cell phones. These states are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. Other states place limited restrictions on cell phone use, such as in school zones or construction sites or by new drivers and school bus drivers.

A first-of-its-kind advocacy group called FocusDriven(www.focusdriven.org) was formed in January 2010 as a result of collaboration among families of distracted driving victims, law enforcement, researchers, public officials, and existing safety advocacy organizations such as the National Safety Council. FocusGroup’s mission is to change attitudes and distracted driver behavior through evaluation of new technologies and public education.

Automobile design improvements and advanced technology also contribute to the safety of drivers and passengers.

Air bags have proved a life saver for front seat occupants in vehicle accidents, reducing fatalities by more than 10% for drivers. NHTSA reports indicate that driver air bags are especially likely to save lives in small cars; that passenger air bags save lives of adult right-front passengers; and that air bags are an important supplemental life saver for drivers and passengers who wear seat belts. Initially, air bags posed a danger to passengers, especially children, because of the force of their impact. In the last several years, however, this danger has been reduced significantly because of decreased inflation power, multi-stage inflation, more sensitive crash sensors, and occupant sensors.

Improved automobile design and anti-rollover technology have the potential for reducing roof-crush and rollover vehicle accidents that invariably cause death and serious injury. By 2012, all cars will be required to have what is called “electronic stability control (ESC),” which about 40% of 2007 and later models already have. ESC senses when a car is about to be out of control and automatically applies the brakes in order to stabilize the vehicle and prevent rollover. NHTSA predicts that ESC could save between 5,000 and 10,000 lives each year, and prevent as many as a quarter of a million accidents.

In May 2009, for the first time in more than 30 years, federal regulations were approved requiring automobile manufacturers to strengthen the roofs of passenger cars and light trucks. According to NHTSA, an estimated 10,000 people die each year in rollover crashes. Previous standards required a roof to withstand pressure equal to 1-1/2 times the vehicle’s curb weight, not to exceed 5,000 pounds. The new rules require a roof to withstand three times the curb weight of the vehicle, eliminating the 5,000 pound limit.

At Searcy Denney, we know that despite safety laws, advanced technology, and driver caution, accidents happen.

Even when everything possible has been done to keep a driver and passengers safe from harm, it is not always possible to prevent death or serious injury from an unexpected motor vehicle crash. Attorneys at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley know all too well the devastation that can be caused by a drunk or careless driver, a poorly-maintained road, or a tractor trailer out of control. We stand ready to share with you our 30 years of experience helping victims of motor vehicle accidents.

If a loved one has been killed, or you or a family member has been injured, in a catastrophic vehicle crash, please fill out our Contact Form, or call us to learn more and arrange a confidential free consultation.

Related Links:
NHTSA: Lives Saved in 2008 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws
New Federal Roof Crush Standards Falls Short
New Auto Safety Legislation Aims to Protect Children
NHTSA: Uniform Guidelines for State Highway Safety Programs
NHTSA: Quick Reference Guide to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards & Regulations