Bikers Beware

It’s a fact of life: cars must share the road with bicycles and they in turn must share the road with cars. Both have a responsibility to keep each other safe. The driver of a car should not pass a cyclist as though they do not exist — while cyclists on heavily traveled roads should be mindful of cars. Each must watch out for the other.

A cyclist on the road is described as a vehicular cyclist, and is expected to travel within the roadway in accordance with the basic vehicular rules of the road. Vehicular cyclists should feel and act like vehicle drivers, even though they are not riding on the main roadway.

John Forester in Effective Cycling, explains the basic principles of cycling in traffic:

• Ride on the road, with the direction of traffic
• Yield to crossing traffic at junctions with larger roads
• Yield to traffic in any lane you are moving to, or when you are moving laterally on the road
• Position yourself correctly at junctions to turn – near the curb when turning off the road on the side you are on, near the center line when turning across to the other side, and in the center when going straight.
• Ride on a part of the road appropriate to your speed; typically, faster traffic is near the center line

According to Florida state law, bicyclists must ride as far to the right as practicable —NOT as far to the right as possible — but capable of being done safely within the means and circumstances present.

To avoid a Fort Lauderdale auto accident or a bicycle accident, be mindful of these rules for cyclists. While you want to enjoy riding your bike on the roads, should an accident occur, contact a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney.
Above all — stay safe and have fun!

Save Gas and Prevent Accidents with Your Tires

Your tires are four of the most important things on your vehicle — without them you go nowhere. If they are not properly maintained, you risk poor driving performance, paying out more for gasoline and being involved in an auto accident.

Three things you should know about your tires:

1. Pressure: is everything and knowing how to read it, gauge it, and pump it will save you many headaches out on the road. Read your car’s manual and educate yourself on the tires you buy for it and how much pressure you need in your tires to stay safe. Essentially, the more air you put in your tires, the better off you’ll be in terms of fuel efficiency. But each tire is only designed to handle a certain amount of pressure. Look at the sides of your tires to find out what the maximum PSI is for the tire.You can fill the tire up to the max, or just under, although most cars will have a recommended max pressure based on the weight of the vehicle itself, which is the safest measure to use. You will also lose 2% of your gas mileage for every 5 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure that you are below the manufacturers recommended pressure.
2. Balance: Make sure that your wheels are properly balanced and aligned. While this isn’t really something you can do at home without specialized equipment, your local auto repair shop can easily do this for you. Keeping everything aligned and balanced means that your tires will roll as freely as possible, helping you consume less gas. While there are a lot of things you can do to save money on gas, make sure you don’t neglect looking at improving your tires since they’re the only part of your vehicle that actually touches the road.
3. Size: Having the right size tire for your car affects gas mileage and helps to prevent an accident. Using steel belted tires can help you improve your gas mileage by up to 10%. And when you’re buying tires, try to find a tire that has a low rolling resistance. Wide tires and studded tires will both significantly lower your gas mileage.

A tire blowout at 65 miles an hour can force you to lose control of your car and cause a serious accident. A blowout will occur when a flat tire is so severely damaged that it loses all air pressure. This is one of the main causes of auto accidents.

The Ft. Lauderdale personal injury attorneys at the Florida Injury Law Group have seen many cases in which people have incurred personal injury driving on substandard tires. You put gas in your car and change your oil regularly — so don’t neglect your tires. Check them regularly, too. With gas prices on the rise, you want all the help you can get in improving miles per gallon. Be kind to your tires and they’ll keep you safe on the road.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Entering the Interstate

Driving on an interstate highway requires a lot of attention and sometimes even some skill. When merging onto the interstate, some approaching cars follow the law and move over — though most are oblivious to the entering cars and remain in the outside lane instead of moving over.

In part, these oblivious drivers can cause horrible auto accidents — although other actions can lead to horrific car accidents, such as merging too slowly or too fast, merging into other cars or not paying attention to blind spots.

Enter At Your Own Risk:

• Accelerate as Your Merge – The merge channel is designed to let you merge onto an interstate safely — although the key is knowing how to use it properly. As soon as you enter the ramp, accelerate and use your blinker. Graduate your speed to match the vehicles that are already on the highway before moving into another lane. Without stopping. Wait for a free spot to open where you can fit your car comfortably into the space. Driving too slowly on the on ramp can cause an auto accident — while merging too fast can also cause an auto accident on I-95.

• Cross Over One Lane at a Time – Do not attempt to cross over four lanes of traffic all at once, even when the roads seem empty. Your car has blind spots that prevent you from seeing other cars when merging. Always be sure to use all mirrors before crossing and look over your shoulder just to make sure no one is there.

• Use Your Blinker – This tip cannot be stressed enough! Always use your blinkers! When changing lanes, merging or exiting — the use of blinkers are how other drivers know you are about to make a move. Your exit or entering may require them to make a move of some kind or they may hold off from merging lanes themselves if they see your blinker on. Not alerting other cars — by using your blinker — to your next move may cause an auto accident on I-95 that could have been avoided.

Fort Lauderdale auto accidents on I-95, I-595 and the turnpike are unfortunately an everyday event. Many involve multi-car collisions and trailer accidents due to the heavy traffic typically on these roads. It remains important that you are fully aware at all times of your surroundings on the interstate and remember that there are other drivers that depend on you to be safe too.

If you have been injured in an auto accident and are in need a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney, please contact us today. You can call and speak to one of our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys for a free consultation at 888.954.3454 or fill out a contact form here.

Avoid Auto Accidents in Construction Zones

It’s usually a good thing when your state ranks among the top three in a category, such as one of the best places to live or having the best beaches in the world. Unfortunately, highway statistics also play a role in rankings; whether the accident rate is high, for example.

While Florida has the distinction of being tops for many good reasons, it is also among the top three staes for having the most roadway auto accidents in construction zones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which rates states for the injuries caused to drivers as well as road workers under the heading of workplace safety and health. Florida shares this ranking with Texas and California.

“Roadway work zones are hazardous both for motorists who drive through the complex array of signs, barrels, and lane changes and for workers who build, repair, and maintain our nation’s streets, bridges, and highways,” states the CDC on its website. While the Federal Highway Administration reports fatal crashes in construction and maintenance work zones dropped from 716 in 2008 to 667 in 2009. Texas, Florida, and California ranked as the three states with the most motor vehicle crash fatalities in work zones.

Driver Safety Tips To Avoid An Auto Accident In a Construction Zone:

• Stay Alert: Expect anything to occur when entering a work zone
• Pay Close Attention: Signs and work zone flaggers save lives
• Turn on Your Headlights: Workers and other motorists must see you
• Don’t Tailgate: Unexpected stops frequently occur in work zones, keep 2 car lengths between you and the car in front of you
• Don’t Speed: Note the posted speed limits in and around the work zone and stick to them
• Keep Up With the Traffic Flow: Dedicate your full attention to the roadway and those traveling around you
• Don’t Change Lanes in the Work Zone: Any time saved just isn’t worth it
• Minimize Distractions: Avoid changing radio stations and using cell phones while driving in the work zone
• Expect the Unexpected: Keep an eye out for workers and their equipment
• Be Patient: Remember the work zone crew members are working to improve your future ride

Keep yourself safe when driving through a construction zone in Ft. Lauderdale and throughout Florida. Avoid an auto accident and injury to yourself and highway workers by staying alert and obeying the laws governing construction zones.

If you have any further questions or if you have been injured in an auto accident and would like to speak to one of our Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorneys, please call us or contact us here.

Did a Defective Car Cause the Auto Accident?

While it’s true that auto accidents are usually caused by driver error, there are accidents that are caused be a defective vehicle or vehicle parts. It’s one thing if the driver hits the gas accidentally instead of the brake; quite another if the brakes don’t work or if the gas pedal sticks.

Every year there are auto accident cases in Fort Lauderdale and Florida that involve defective seat belts or airbags — and yet other cases involving cars that are just plain unsafe. Defective automotive products may not make the front pages as often as accidents from driver error but they still cause serious accidents and injuries.

We’ve all heard about product recalls because of things like defective brakes, stuck steering mechanisms, defective tires that come apart or a roof caving in during a rollover. These recalls are issued so that the manufacturer can fix what’s wrong, but too often these recalls don’t become a matter of national attention until there has been a series of auto accidents involving the faulty part.

Another problem is that frequently the driver of the other car becomes the focus if there is injury and litigation in the aftermath of a serious car accident, bypassing the possibility that a defective car part could have been the culprit. Nonetheless, if you suspect a defective auto part may have been the reason for an accident you can still file a lawsuit without proving the manufacturer’s fault. If there was no accident you can still file a lawsuit based on the premise that injuries were caused by a defective auto part or a component of the vehicle that proved dangerous and lacked the proper warnings.

Defective can refer to a number of parts and components, such as:

• Automotive designs that cause injury to a vehicle’s occupants
• Automotive designs built into the vehicle that failed to ensure safety
• Safety features that failed to work

Ft. Lauderdale auto accident attorneys are versed in all aspects of auto accidents, whether these were caused by a driver error or by a defective car part or unsafe vehicle. If you suspect that your car turned against you in an auto accident – or that there may be a defective part that could potentially cause an accident – contact an auto accident attorney to learn the details about what you’re entitled to. Don’t wait for the steering wheel to fall off.

If you have any further questions or if you have been injured in an accident and would like to speak to one of our Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorneys, please call us or contact us here.