To Helmet or Not To Helmet: That is the Question?

Can you ride a motorcycle in Florida without a helmet? Yes — and no. While the law requires all motorcycle operators and riders to wear helmets, it does not apply to operators and riders over the age of 21 as long as the person has an insurance policy that provides for at least $10,000 in medical benefits. These benefits would apply to injuries from a motorcycle crash while operating or riding on a motorcycle.

The helmet law in Florida also does not apply to anyone 16 years or older operating a small, powered vehicle, such as a moped, which cannot go more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.

Helmet laws are different in each state. Michigan, for example, has repealed its helmet laws, citing a desire to increase tourism and the fact that helmeted riders don’t enjoy themselves as much and would be more likely to bypass any region that mandates headgear.

We all know the reasons for not being helmeted. You can enjoy the breeze, see more of the landscape and generally be unfettered as the wind takes your breath away. Most riders, in fact, view the helmet as something that eliminates a certain measure of freedom.

So the question becomes, if you are over a certain age, should you wear a helmet in Florida?

It would be best to follow your gut and, even better, to listen to the statistics: Helmeted motorcycle riders and operators sustain the least number of serious injuries. In most Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accidents, a helmet and safety gear is the difference between life and death. It’s not just the motorcyclist that you need to worry about— it’s the other drivers who are pre-occupied with other things while driving.

A Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney can help you in the event of a motorcycle accident. If you have questions about motorcycle helmet use, or if you or someone you know has been in a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident, contact a Ft Lauderdale motorcycle accident attorney from the Florida Injury Law Group today.

In the meantime, put your helmet on and concentrate on keeping you and your passengers injury free.

The Dangers of Driving Tired

Driving when you are tired affects your ability to drive safely — and falling asleep behind the wheel is more common among drivers than you think.

A recent National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that 60 percent of adult drivers — over 170 million people — claim to have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy in the past year. In addition, more than 37% (105 million people) have actually fallen asleep at the wheel. Of those who have nodded off, 13% say they have done so at least once a month. Four percent (11 million drivers) — admit they have had an accident or near accident because they dozed off or were too tired to drive. (DrivingDrowsy.org)

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year,” according to the website. “This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and roughly $12.5 billion in monetary losses.”

To ensure that you remain awake while driving, here are some more facts:

• There is little or no police training in identifying drowsiness as a crash factor.
• Drowsiness/fatigue may play a role in crashes attributed to other causes such as alcohol. About one million such crashes annually are thought to be caused by driver inattention/lapses.
• Adults between 18-29 are much more likely to drive while drowsy compared to other age groups.
• Men are more likely than women to drive while drowsy (56% vs. 45%) and are almost twice as likely as women to fall asleep while driving (22% vs. 12%).
• Shift workers are more likely than those who work a regular daytime schedule to drive to or from work drowsy at least a few days a month (36% vs. 25%).
• According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, people who sleep six to seven hours a night are twice as likely to be involved in such a crash as those sleeping 8 hours or more, while people sleeping less than 5 hours increased their risk four to five times.
• Commercial drivers and people with undiagnosed sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and acute insomnia are also at greater risk for asleep at the wheel crashes.

Drowsy driving crashes also have high personal and economic costs, resulting in jail time for the driver as well as multi-million dollar settlements awarded to families of crash victims.

Remember to contact a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney if you have been in an auto accident. A Florida Injury Law Group auto accident attorney can help you to assess whether lack of sleep or drowsy driving was at fault.

Driving With Your Mirrors

You have a big windshield to look through as you drive but don’t put those blinders on to the rest of the world. Practicing good driving habits also means proper positioning and use of your mirrors inside and outside your vehicle.

In other words, you’re not just looking ahead as you drive, but out to the side and behind you as well. The Ft. Lauderdale personal injury attorneys at the Florida Injury Law Group recommend checking your mirrors every time you enter your vehicle. Even if you may have checked them an hour ago — a bump from a shopping cart or a person moving against them or even the car’s movement itself could act to move the mirrors. Even a slight degree of turn could mean the difference between seeing, and not seeing.

First, there’s the inside mirror, often referred to as the rear-view mirror. Adjust this mirror so you can view the entire rear window from the driver’s seat. You should have to move only your eyes, not your head, to use this mirror while driving.

Next, adjust the side mirrors, both on the driver’s side and the passenger’s side. To adjust the driver’s side-view mirror, place your head against the left side window and set the mirror so you can just barely see the side of the car in the mirror’s right side. To adjust the passenger’s side-view mirror, position your head so that it is just above the center console. Set the mirror so you can just barely see the side of the car in the left side of the mirror.

Adjusting the mirrors will allow you clear views on all sides of the car, especially important when you are traveling on a multi-lane road. If you are about to pass a vehicle, having these mirrors adjusted to afford you the best view possible will enable you to pass without difficulty — and avoid a serious accident. Properly adjusted mirrors will also help you to detect when you are being passed, as well as the presence of cars that are close to you.

Even with all the mirrors adjusted in your car, blind spots will still remain. Before you move your car, or attempt to pass another vehicle, remember to double check all sides to make sure your path is clear. Contact a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney should an accident occur and you suspect a wrongly adjusted mirror is at fault.

Pedestrian Laws You Should Know

Pedestrian accidents usually occur when drivers aren’t paying attention. Cars can hurt people as easily as they can damage another car and, in some cases, cause critical or even fatal wounds if the vehicle is travelling fast enough upon impact.

When driving it is always smart to remember some basic rules of the road and to be mindful of pedestrians — whether you’re in a store parking lot or at a crosswalk at a major intersection.

Likewise, pedestrians also have to heed some common sense when out walking and crossing streets and parking lots. Drivers often have enough to deal with, such as other cars, stopping, proceeding forward and turning, and pedestrians can’t always rely on the notion that the car will stop as they attempt to cross the street.
The bottom line is that there are multiple levels of distractions that hit both drivers and pedestrians and whether to stop or go should always be part of the common sense of driving and walking.

Pedestrian laws everyone should know:

1. Walk on sidewalks or stay to the left hand side of the road
2. If there is no crosswalk, pedestrians must yield to drivers
3. Pedestrians don’t always have the right of way
4. A crosswalk does not allow pedestrians to walk through it at any time
5. You can still be in the crosswalk if the flashing ‘don’t walk’ signal comes on

As a pedestrian — while not the law — it is a good idea to turn the music down or take out one ear phone from your musical device so you can hear what’s going on around you. Also make sure to cross at lights and designated pedestrian crosswalks, using the button to cross and waiting for the right away.

A Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney will be able to help you in the event of an accident, especially if the case involves a personal injury claim settlement. Whether walking or driving, always use your head and never rely on the other person to follow the rules of the road.