Florida Highway Patrol Report Says State’s Traffic Fatalities Fell in 2008
A preliminary traffic statistics report from the Florida Highway Patrol shows a substantial dip in the number of fatal accidents in our state, the St. Petersburg Times reported Jan. 28. The 2,986 deaths Florida saw last year is the lowest number of traffic fatalities in at least eight years, the agency said, lower even than the 2000 toll of 2,999. Since that year, a release from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says (PDF), the state’s population has grown by nearly 18%, suggesting a substantial per-capita decline.
The decline holds even for motorcycle accident deaths. As I have written here before, fatal motorcycle crashes have about doubled nationally over the past decade. And according to the St. Petersburg Times article, the number of fatal motorcycle accidents in Florida more than doubled in this decade, from 227 in 2000 to 517 in 2007. To explain this, authorities point to a combination of increased popularity for motorcycles, a trend toward older riders and the repeal of helmet laws in many states. But for 2008, the article said, the new Florida report projects an 8% decline over 2007’s fatal Florida motorcycle accident numbers.
The Times suggested that in addition to better driver education and enforcement, the bad economy may play a part in the decline in fatalities. This theory suggests that rising gas prices and unemployment may have forced many people to drive less or find alternate forms of transportation. If so, it’s a welcome silver lining to our economic problems. We drive so much that it’s easy to forget that traffic accidents can be very serious, but in fact, they are responsible for thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries each year in Florida. Serious car crash injuries include spinal damage, brain injuries, amputations, multiple fractures and very severe burns.
These are catastrophic, life-changing injuries -- and all too often, they’re also very expensive, slamming victims’ families with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in unplanned medical bills and lost wages. To recover these and other costs caused by another driver’s negligence, victims can file a Florida auto accident lawsuit. Cohn, Smith & Cohn has more than 25 years of experience helping victims of serious car, truck and motorcycle accidents in South Florida. If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt in a Florida car crash, we can help. To set up a free evaluation of your case with our experienced attorneys, please contact us online or call us at (954) 431-8100.
