A recent pre-dawn fiery crash that sent three women to the hospital, one with serious injuries, is a stark reminder of the dangers of wrong-way crashes. While wrong-way crashes constitute a small percentage of Florida’s total car accidents, this type of collision often results in serious injuries to all parties involved, as your Boca Raton car accident lawyer can attest.
The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration reported 368 wrong-way crashes in the state of Florida between the years of 2006 and 2010, which was only a tiny fraction of Florida’s 1.2 million total crashes during those years. Likewise, on the national level, the most recent figures available show 1,665 wrong-way crashes across the U.S. in 2010. Unfortunately, your Boca Raton car accident lawyer has seen the results of wrong-way crashes far too often.
Locally, the Sun Sentinel has record of 17 wrong-way crashes in Broward County since 2005, and five wrong-way crashes in Palm Beach County, some of which have resulted in serious injury or even death. These crashes include a 2008 crash on I-95 in Boca Raton that resulted in a woman’s death and a man’s conviction for DUI manslaughter, and a 2011 crash on 1-75 in Pembroke Pines that left two men dead.
Wrong-way crashes often feature two common characteristics: they typically occur at night and the drivers are often intoxicated. Traffic engineers go to great lengths to prevent wrong-way crashes by designing roads that make entering exits from the wrong direction difficult and awkward. They also employ other safety features such as prominent “Wrong Way” signs, painted pavement “Do Not Enter” signs, and reflective markers. However, such safety measures often go unnoticed by intoxicated drivers, particularly in the dark.
Some states, including Florida, are taking more extreme measures to prevent the injuries that occur from wrong-way crashes. For instance, after a slew of wrong-way crashes in Washington state in the late 1990s, the state installed sensors in interstate ramps that trigger flashing lights and sirens if motorists enter the interstate the wrong way.
In the state of Florida, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) has suggested a system that would warn highway patrol when drivers pull onto the expressway the wrong way. A transponder and readers along the road would signal the car’s location to the Florida Highway Patrol if it is traveling the wrong direction. Although the system might not work in all situations, it has the potential to prevent fatal accidents.
According to recent news reports, the OOCEA plans to contract with the University of Central Florida to conduct an $85,000 study of crash statistics over the last five years, which is a prerequisite to putting such a warning system into place.
While these measures may help prevent some wrong-way crashes, the reality is that wrong-way crashes still occur on Florida roadways and often result in injury or death. If you or a loved one is involved in a wrong-way crash or any type of motor vehicle accident, you will need the help of an experienced Boca Raton car accident lawyer. Contact the Shiner Law Group today for assistance and information.
