Worrying Traffic Crash Reports in Florida – What Steps to Take After an Accident
By Space Coast Daily // December 25, 2018
Car accidents are life-altering events that can change everything in minutes. Being aware of the implications of a car crash is very important, as well as understanding the steps that you must take when being involved in one.
Getting informed about this topic will keep you safe in case such an unfortunate event occurs in your life. If you live in Florida, the risk is even higher, considering that the location hosts no less than 400 000 car accidents each year. The numbers are surely scary, but the statistics don’t stop there.
Car crashes are sectioned into fatal accidents, alcohol-related accidents, pedestrian accidents, and several more categories. The numbers tell people how careful they should be in traffic and what precautions they should take.
A short summary of traffic incidents in Florida
Data that was gathered since 2014 until the present day should be an alarming signal for all drivers in Florida. The car crashes increased each year. In 2014, the number of traffic crashes was under 340,000, meaning that approximately 900 crashes per day were happening during that year. In 2015, the numbers increased tremendously, jumping from 340,000 to almost 380,000.
The number of crashes per day grew from 900 to 1,000. One year later, the number almost reached 400 000 and the value remained almost unchanged. If adding up the number of drivers that were involved in crashes, the numbers would shock you. Each year, 600,000 drivers are involved in crashes, from which around 3,000 are fatalities and around 250,000 are injured.
As for pedestrians, they are often involved in car crashes and they end up injured or even killed. In 2016, around 10,000 crashes involved killing pedestrians, which raised some questions regarding the traffic in Florida.
In the same category, one can find bicyclists and motorcyclists who get killed or injured just as often. The statistics are truly scary and data is constantly processed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
What to do in case of an accident
When an accident does occur, you must stick to a series of steps that should keep you calm and safe. In order to be fully protected, make sure to:
• Report the incident as soon as possible
Immediately after the accident took place, you need to find some way to report the accident. Calling the local police department should be the very first thing you do if no injured persons are present at the location of the event.
If people who were involved in the accident suffered injuries or the vehicles are in an unsafe condition, make sure to call an ambulance before anything else. Either way, the incident must be reported to the authorities as soon as possible.
After reporting the accidents, it’s important to gather important details about the accident while you wait for reinforcements. The name of the ones involved, phone numbers, the vehicles’ state, license plate number and any other information that could be useful in the long run, when discussing with an insurance company or such, should be gathered quickly.
If the person who hit your car or who was involved in the accident in some way drives off, make sure to retain at least some details about the vehicles and note them down. For a future lawsuit, these details can entirely change the outcome.
When you report details regarding the accident, avoid discussing who’s fault was. Ideally, the cops will determine what happened, based on what witnesses say and based on your description of the event.
• Discuss with your insurance company
If you have insurance of any type, you need to contact the company immediately. They will know how you should carry on the situation further and will give you explicit details on how to file a claim.
In some cases, when the injuries are very serious or a fatal accident occurred, life insurance claims might be needed. Life insurance in Florida is easy to understand as long as you choose the proper companies for such services.
Informing yourself immediately after you become a driver about the insurance services you should opt for can serve you well in the future. Don’t skip this step – otherwise, everything might get ten times more complicated than it would normally be.
• Seek help
If you or someone you love is seriously injured, seeking help is a must until the ambulance comes. If you know basic CPR, this is the moment when you should apply it.
Car crashes can easily cause a heart attack, even though the rest of the body might not be affected. If you are not trained in CPR, you should learn at least how to do basic chest compressions and at what time interval to keep the heart of the victim pumping until the paramedics arrive. In case you are the person who is injured you can ask passers-by to help you in the main time.
The steps that should be taken to prevent accidents
Bad weather, mechanical problems or bad roads or even the condition of the roads can contribute to being part of an accident. Here are some of the precautions you should take:
- Examine your car carefully before leaving. Check the wheels, the oil level and, if you make a trip outside the city, check the lights. It seems too much, but these few details can determine whether you are going to be part of a car crash or not.
- Fasten your seatbelt. is the most important tip you will receive. Your passengers – including the ones in the back – should also fasten their seatbelt.
- Be visible. Turn on the daytime running lights, and always signal your intentions in traffic. A car with headlights on is much more visible than the others, and it’s easier to anticipate intentions when ensuring that your car is noticeable. Plus, you will make sure that pedestrians see you whenever you pass.
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