UPCOMING LOCAL COMMUNITY EVENTS
April 7-11, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Legally Blonde: The Musical
Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 N. McMullen Booth Rd
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA
Friday April 10, 2009 11:00 a.m.
Orangutan Egg Hunt
Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W. Sligh Avenue
TAMPA, FLORIDA
Wednesday April 15, 2009 7:08 p.m.
NY Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Tropicana Field
1 Tropicana Drive
St. Petersburg, FL
April 24-26, 2009 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Chicago: The Broadway Musical
Mahaffey Theatre
400 1st Street South
St. Petersburg, FL
Wednesday April 29, 2009 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Manatee Jazz Fest
South Florida Museum & Bishop Planetarium
201 W. 10th Street West
Bradenton, FL
Mention this ad at International House of Pancakes, located at 802 S. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33609 and receive 10% off your next visit.
REDUCING THE RISK OF AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT IN TAMPA BAY
Most people do not truly appreciate the risks associated with driving an automobile. In the back of their mind, they know they might get in an auto accident. However, they drive so often without a mishap that they begin to think it will never happen to them. The truth is, we face the possibility of a motor vehicle accident every time we get in our cars. In fact, according to the DMV, in 2004 there were 21,722 traffic crashes, just in Hillsborough County, Florida. Out of those, 189 fatalities were reported.
Eliminating the risk of accident or injury is impossible. However, reducing the risk is easier than you think. The first step is to have conscious awareness of the dangers associated with driving every time you enter an automobile. Another important step is to know what intersections in your area are the most dangerous.
One of the more dangerous stretches of road in Pinellas County, Florida involves US. 19. In 2006 there were 95 traffic accidents at the intersections of U.S 19 and Tampa Road and U.S. 19 and Alderman combined. Another dangerous intersection in Pinellas County, Florida is Gandy Boulevard and 4th Street. Just in the month of January 2009 alone, this intersection had 8 traffic accidents, 2 involving pedestrians.
According to an article posted by 10 Connects, the worst traffic crash intersection in Hillsborough County, Florida is Hanley Road and Waters Avenue in Tampa. In 2007 there were, 90 accidents and 2 fatalities at that intersection. The 4 next most dangerous intersections in Hillsborough County include:
Brandon Blvd W and Brandon Town Center Drive in Brandon:
- Bell Shoals Road and Bloomington Ave W. in Brandon;
- Anderson Road. and Waters Ave. W. in Tampa; and
- Bearss Ave. E. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd in New Tampa.
A third step to reducing the risk of accident or injury while driving an automobile is keeping driving distractions to a minimum. The main distractions other than alcohol that contribute to auto accidents are Cell phone use, aggressive driving, and being in a hurry.
The final step to reducing the risk of an accident involves defensive driving. According to the DMV, the following rules on defensive driving can help lower the number of crashes:
- keep a 2 second distance behind the car in front of you;
- be on the lookout for bad drivers;
- do not drink alcohol and drive;
- do not drive aggressively;
- be aware of your surroundings; and
- stay focused on the road.
Hopefully, by following the above steps you, your friends, and your family will never get into an auto accident. However, if you, your friends or your family do get into an accident and are injured call Distasio Law Firm. We can help.
Written by Danyelle Estill and Scott Distasio for Distasio Law Firm
BLOG
Distasio Law Firm publishes a blog article on the internet 2 to 3 times per month. Our Blogs can be found at http://www.tampainjurylawblog.com/. To subscribe to our Blog, go to our website http://www. TampaInjuryLawBlog.com, go to the website home page; scroll down the right hand side to the subscribe section; click on the news feed that is most compatible with your computer; and follow the news feed directions. Blog articles will then be sent directly to your computer as they are published.
Below is the highlighted Blog for this month.
Riding a Mototcycle in Florida can be Dangerous
A recent post at Tampabay.com used statistics from the National Highway Safety Administration to drive home the point that riding a motorcycle on the public roads in Florida is dangerous. According to the post, the number of motorcycle rider deaths nationally has steadily gone up from 2,110 deaths in 1997 to 4,810 deaths in 2006. In addition, motorcycle riders are 35 times more likely to die when they are in a wreck than people riding in car.
The state with the most motorcycle deaths is Florida. Local Tampa Bay statistics seem to support the conclusion. For example, in less than two months the following deaths have been reported:
35 year old Juan Andino-Casillas was killed in Tampa in February of 2009 after he drove his Suzuki motorcycle into a car that turned into his lane.
42 year old Jerry Williamson died in St. Pete Beach in February of 2009 after crashing his Harley-Davidson motorcycle into a car that turned into his lane.
19 year old Benjamin Mower was killed in Zephyrhills in March of 2009 after he crashed his Suzuki motorcycle into a car that turned into his lane.
The reason for the increasing number of deaths nationally is unclear. Some say it's the increase in the number of motorcycle riders. Tampabay.com quoted The U.S. Transportation Department statistics that 350,000 motorcycles were sold in 1997 and 1.2 million motorcycles were sold in 2006 to prove the point. Some say that motorcycle riders are hard to see. Others, like Steve Gaskins, the Hillsborough County spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, blame the motorcycle riders. He was apparently was quoted as saying "...many of them are driving recklessly."
The reason Florida leads the Nation in Motorcycle deaths is also unclear. However, several factors probably play a role. First, Florida is one of the biggest states so it has a large number of motorcycle riders. Second, the weather here is warm most of the year so there is more time to ride. Third, Florida is one of several states that does not require helmets while riding so people that may otherwise have lived through a crash may suffer head trauma that takes their life.
THE FIRM
Distasio Law Firm is a Tampa based personal injury law firm that handles cases throughout the state of Florida. We welcome referrals from clients, family and friends of clients and from other lawyers. We handle most types of personal injury cases including auto accidents, slip and falls, medication errors, product liability, nursing home abuse, and medical malpractice.