Whenever you drive through a crossroads in South Florida, you may not pay much attention to it, but each poses a threat. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports that over 25% of fatal traffic injuries occur at intersections. The right of way requirement continues to be ignored by drivers despite signs and laws requiring vehicles to yield.
It’s reassuring to know that you have choices for recovering compensation thanks to Florida’s vehicle accident laws, which allow victims to seek damages from the at-fault driver. Although a Miami lawyer can clarify your options, it’s helpful to have some background information on the statistics and causes of these situations. Discover more!
Information on Auto Crashes at Intersections
Every year, 311,430 collisions occur at or near a crossroad, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). This figure is significantly higher than the FHWA figures, which focus on the number of fatalities and injured victims. Moreover,
- Every year, junction crashes in Florida kill around 885 people and injure almost 94,700 others. To put it another way, nearly 31% of these collisions result in at least one death.
- Unsignalized junctions, where there may just be a stop or yield sign, or no sign at all, are the most typical locations for cross-street collisions.
- Most cross-street accidents are caused by red light running at signalized intersections, accounting for approximately one third of the total.
Factors contributing to cross-street collisions
Most collisions, including car accidents at intersections, are caused by negligence. This broad definition of liability relates to a driver’s failure to drive with reasonable care, i.e., with the same prudence that a prudent motorist would. The following are examples of driver irresponsibility in the context of auto collisions at intersections:
- Disobeying a stop sign or red light;
- Those who fail to comply with other traffic controls, such as signs, turn signals and lane markings;
- Turning right without coming to a complete stop or “rolling through”;
- Taking a right turn in a prohibited area;
- Inaccurate assessment of oncoming traffic speed when turning left; and,
- Misunderstanding right of way rules at 2- and 4-way stop sign intersections.
It has been argued that red-light cameras violate the constitution because the citation is issued to the owner, but they may or may not drive the offending vehicle. Due to the shift in the burden of proof, the car owner must prove that another individual was driving instead of the presumption of innocence.