South Florida Personal Injury Attorney Blog

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Broward County has taken a step toward safety for nighttime drivers at one local intersection. The county has made traffic light changes to the intersection where a teenager was killed in car crash three months ago by no longer allowing them to blink at night.

The traffic lights were blinking the night Alejandro Romeo, a student at Coral Glades High School, was killed at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Coral Ridge Drive. Romeo died at the scene. He was a passenger in a Honda Civic driven by his mother, Maria Uribe. The lights at the intersection were blinking red on Riverside and blinking yellow on Coral Ridge at the time, according to police. That's when the accident happened. A driver in a truck broadsided the Civic on the passenger side, where Romeo was sitting. After hitting the Civic, the truck careened into Riverside Elementary School. County officials are hoping this change to the traffic light will reduce confusion and, ultimately, car accidents.

For more information on Florida car or truck accidents, contact the Law offices of Robert Rubenstein at 1-800-FL-Legal ( 1-800-355-3425). The consultation is free.

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South Florida is paradise this time of year, but very shortly thousands of drivers will hit the road and head north for the holidays. It's great to see friends and family for Christmas, but getting there can be far more dangerous than it seems. I hope you'll steer clear of these top driving dangers and avoid a car accident during the busy holiday season:

Drunk Drivers

Over the winter holidays, you're three times more likely to die in alcohol-related vehicle crashes than during comparable time periods the rest of the year, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. About 40% of traffic fatalities during winter holidays involve an impaired driver, compared with 28% for other deaths in December. You may know this already, but did you know drinking alcohol can affect the brain for hours even influencing a person's driving the next morning?
Caffeine does not help rid the body of drunkenness.
If you choose to drink, don't have more than one drink per hour.
Try to alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
Choose a designated driver.

Dangerous Roads

Here in Sunshine State, the worst road condition we have to deal with is rain. In many parts of the country, snow and ice covered roads are the norm during the holidays. Ice can cause your car to spin out and collide with other cars.
Check the weather forecast frequently before heading into bad weather.
Avoid unpaved roads when possible.
Avoid night driving because ice is hard to see in the dark.
Plan alternate routes in case a road is blocked.
Have your car inspected prior to your trip.
Keep your insurance card and registration handy in the event of an accident.

Tired and Distracted Drivers

Tired drivers can be more dangerous than drunk drivers behind the wheel.
Take frequent breaks when driving and switch drivers if you start to feel fatigued.
Avoid driving during night hours when tired drivers are most likely to be on the road.
When driving, use and hands free device if you must make and receive calls.
If you must send and read text messages, pull to the side of the road to avoid
distracted driving.

For more information on Florida car accidents, contact the legal team at the Law Offices of Robert Rubenstein at rubensteinlaw.com or 800-FL-Legal. We have attorneys in Miami-Dade, and Broward and we handle cases all throughout Florida.

Have a healthy, happy and safe Holiday Season!

Florida drivers currently have no legal requirement to leave their cell phones off while driving, but that may soon change. This week the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended all states ban cell phone use behind the wheel, becoming the first federal agency to call for an outright prohibition on telephone conversations while driving. The push is the result of more than 3,000 car accident deaths last year alone due to cell phone distractions. Case in point...

Naples, Florida 2008 - A cyclist was struck and killed by a driver who was sending a text when at the time of the crash.

Tampa, Florida 2009 - A teen driver, texting with her friends, slammed into the back of a police cruiser, sending everyone to the hospital.

Kentucky 2010 - A semi-truck with a 53-foot-long trailer collided with a 15-passenger van, killing 11 people. The truck's driver was on his cell phone at the time.

These are just a few examples of what lawmakers are now trying to prevent. In an historic move, the city of Parkland, Florida (Broward County) banned text messaging while driving. If caught, drivers there face a $100 fine. Now, the Federal government is seeing the merit of such legislation and Florida lawmakers may follow suit.

The NTSB does not have legislative power, but as the nation's leading federal safety advocate it has influence. The agency has indicated it will provide political cover if Congress or the White House administration wants to take on the powerful cell phone industry lobby. Ultimately, the lawmaking would be up to the States but Congress could opt to use control of federal money to influence the states, as it has on such issues as seat belts and legal drinking age.

At least six distracted driving bills have been filed for Florida's 2012 legislative session. The Legislature returns Jan. 12. Florida Governor Scott, a conservative Republican, does not appear supportive of a handheld cell phone ban. In 2011, he vetoed a bill (HB 689) that would have required the DMV to provide education on the dangers of electronic distracted driving.

The Law Offices of Robert Rubenstein has more than 25 years experience with Florida auto, truck and motorcycle accidents. If you've been injured in an accident or you simply want more information on your legal accident rights, call our legal team at 1-800-FL-Legal (800-355-3425) at Rubenstein Law.