There are more than 400,000 car accidents per year in the state of Florida. While there are many causes for these accidents, ranging from distracted driving to DUIs, there’s one factor cited in nearly 40% of Florida’s serious car accidents.
Careless Driving
Statistics from the Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicle Department suggest that careless driver error is the cause of nearly half of the state’s car accidents.
This should not be confused with distracted driving, which refers to three specific kinds of distractions (visual, manual, and cognitive). Instead, careless driving is a general term that applies when Florida drivers fail to “drive in a careful or prudent manner.”
Careless driving also shouldn’t be confused with reckless driving, which is a more serious offense. Where careless driving is often accidental, reckless driving is when someone drives with “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” In other words, the difference between careless driving and reckless driving is potential damages and an intent to cause harm.
Examples of Careless Driving
Careless driving is an umbrella term capturing many different kinds of small driving infractions. This can seem ambiguous, which is why it’s important to highlight a few common examples of careless driving.
Examples may include,
· Changing lanes without a blinker
· Changing lanes in an intersection
· Drowsy driving
· Ignoring traffic signals
· Speeding (but not excessive speeding)
These infractions may seem innocent by themselves, but they cause an enormous number of needless accidents every year. While discussions about car safety often focus on distracted driving or DUIs, it’s possible that we need to place a greater emphasis on teaching new drivers the basic rules of the road.
If you suffered serious injuries in a car accident, we are here for you. If you’d like an experienced Pensacola personal injury attorney from The Watson Firm to evaluate your case, please send us an email or call (850) 607-2929.