Tampa St. Petersburg Injury Lawyer Blog

The "worst" drivers in the state will soon be sent back to school. A new state law, signed last month by Gov. Charlie Christ will mandate that motorists that have received three crash-related violations in a three-year period must take a behind-the-wheel driver education course, as well as pass a driver's test. The new law will take effect January 1st, 2010.

The motive behind the crackdown? Electra Bustle, executive director of the state highway safety agency, explains that the drivers being targeted demonstrate not only a repeated tendency to crash, but also the tendency to be at-fault. Bustle continued that to even change one person's behavior in order to avoid a crash would be a success. (The Miami Herald). Officials are hopeful that the new law will provide drivers with an incentive to drive more carefully. In addition, it has been suggested that it will aid in keeping insurance rates down. 

Currently, officials suggest that there are more than 3,200 drivers in the state who fit in the most dangerous category. Luckily for them, safety officials will begin counting violations on January 1st, so previous citations will not be considered. The current law only requires a four-hour refresher course for drivers with two crash-involved citations, which can be taken on the internet and does not involve behind the wheel training that the new law will include.

Statistics show that of those 3,200 drivers, most are likely to be white men, aged 40 or younger. While many may believe the Florida stereotype that the elderly are the most dangerous drivers, in actuality, only 7 percent are over 65 and more than a third are under age 25.

Not surprisingly, the most populous county, Miami-Dade held the largest number of dangerous drivers in 2008. Not far behind, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties rank third and fourth, respectively.

Continue reading "Florida's Repeat At-Fault Drivers Sent Back to Driving School" »

Golf cart travel is becoming an increasingly popular means of transportation, particularly for short trips in subdivisions, in retirement communities and among those who are not yet of legal driving age. While carts are commonly viewed as little more than toys, a recent study, performed by the University of Alabama and published in the Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, reveals a much different take on golf carts.

The research, triggered by doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after treating several serious golf cart related accidents, studied emergency room databases from 2002 to 2005. Results suggest that during that time span, about 48,000 golf cart accidents took place nationwide, injuring roughly 1,000 Americans a month. Research also revealed that an estimated 50% of the accidents happened on the golf course, while the other half generally occurred at homes, on streets and other public property. Young males between the ages of 10 and 19, as well as men 80 and up, were found to have the highest injury rates in these accidents. For those accidents on the golf course, it is speculated that alcohol often plays a primary factor in the cause of collisions.

Some credit the lack of a requirement for safety equipment, such as windshields, signaling lights and mirrors, as the cause of many of these accidents, especially when traveling on public streets. Although they can be modified to exceed regular speeds, most golf carts are only designed with top speeds of 15 mph, solely with golf course travel in mind. Complaints have been made that the very little federal regulation and minimal requirements by states has also fed into the climbing injury rates. Most states do not have an age requirement to drive a golf cart, nor do they mandate the necessity of a license or safety equipment in order to operate a cart.

The regulations vary greatly by state. Operating any unlicensed vehicle, including golf carts, is illegal in Alabama, for instance. Florida law states that carts can be used on streets, but only after they are modified to operate at a top speed of 20 to 25 mph. While they can still be banned, many communities and subdivisions are creating specified areas for golf cart travel, some of which do come with limitations and regulations.

In general, who is driving and where they are driving seem to be the top culprits in golf cart injuries. The researchers suggest careful monitoring of any children or minors operating the carts, as well as mandatory safety regulations.

 
As a golf cart injury attorney, I have seen the adverse effects of these accidents upon clients. In communities like The Villages, Florida, where our new office is located, golf cart travel is becoming both extremely popular and extremely dangerous. The experience of The Law Offices of John T. Grove can advise you and help you achieve recovery for your golf cart accident injuries.