Wrong-Way Car Accidents and What Tampa Authorities Are Doing to Help Change Statistics

Wrong-way driving is a significant cause of car accidents in Florida and can have serious implications. Fortunately, Tampa authorities are undertaking actions to help change this.

The Tampa Bay Times recently reported that the Florida Department of Transportation has announced that it will be launching a pilot program on the Howard Franklin Bridge that is intended to detect wrong-way drivers. This follows a string of recent wrong-way crashes on the bridge. The new program will utilize retrofitted cameras and video analytics software that can detect wrong-way drivers and send alerts to Florida’s Traffic Management Center, which can then dispatch highway patrol troopers. Preliminary reports indicated that this new technology is ninety-four percent accurate in detecting these events.

Wrong-way driving obviously poses a significant threat to Floridians. The Times also reported that there have been thirteen wrong-way driving crashes in the Tampa Bay area this year alone, with six of those being fatal and nearly ninety since 2008.

What is a Wrong-Way Car Accident?

According to the Florida Department of Highway of Safety and Motor (FLHSMV), wrong-way car accidents occur when a driver fails to observe posted traffic signs or pavement markings and ends up in a lane going the wrong direction which causes an accident.

How Dangerous Can Wrong-Way Driving Be?

Wrong-way driving can have serious implications. FLHSMV has found that the majority of these accidents are head-on. Further, these head-on collisions account for eighty-one percent of wrong-way fatalities. Additionally, wrong-way accidents can lead to serious injuries such as paralysis and limb amputation as well as traumatic brain injuries and many other situations.

Why Do Wrong-Way Accidents Happen?

Signs or markings are missing or not visible. While authorizes make every effort to keep people safe by maintaining traffic signs and pavement markings, in some cases, they are not visible because they are missing, overgrown vegetation, or some other obstruction.

Driving under the influence. Despite the well-known potential hazards of drinking or using drugs prior to driving, some people do so and wrong-way accidents are one potential consequence.

Distracted driving. Eating, texting, talking on the phone, putting on makeup, and changing radio stations are all examples of distracted driving. Distracted driving encompasses any behavior that distracts a driver from focusing on the road.

How Can Wrong-Way Driving Be Prevented?

• Avoid driving at night
• Utilize a ride-sharing application if drinking
• Refrain from distracted driving of all kinds
• Plan your route in advance so you can familiarize yourself with one-way roads

Have You Been in a Wrong-Way Accident? Contact an Experienced Attorney.

Wrong-way car accidents can lead to tragic circumstances, but you don’t have to suffer a second tragedy by suffering without the compensation you deserve. If you believe that you or a loved one has been injured in a wrong-way car accident at the fault of someone else, contact the experienced Tampa automobile accident attorneys of The Pendas Law Firm today.

The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Fort Myers, Daytona, Jacksonville, and Bradenton areas.

Resource:

tampabay.com/news/breaking/wrong-way-detection-coming-to-howard-frankland-bridge-after-two-crashes-in-two-weeks-20181102/