Motor Vehicle Accidents on the Rise in Southwest Florida
In the days, weeks, and months following Hurricane Ian, Southwest Florida has seen inoperable traffic lights, stop signs blown down, and intersections with huge piles of debris blocking the views of drivers and pedestrians. While these hazards on a roadway alone are dangerous enough, there are also several other conditions affecting the increase in motor vehicle crashes in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, Bonita Springs, North Fort Myers, and surrounding areas:
INCREASED TRAFFIC
Hundreds of contractors and renovation companies have come to Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian to handle the extensive repairs required as a result of the damage SW Florida sustained. The companies have come with huge trucks, crews of workers, large equipment and many additional work vehicles. The more vehicles on the road, the more likely accidents will take place in our area, especially in smaller areas only designed to handle so much vehicular traffic.
ROADWAY REPAIRS AND DEBRIS REMOVAL
Many roads are still partially closed while work is being performed, leaving a single lane for the flow of two directions of traffic. While these repairs and debris removal is extremely necessary, it does slow down traffic and often leaves inattentive drivers surprised when they come to a sudden stop or change in the normal flow of traffic. Further, we are seeing many work vehicles blocking a single lane of traffic, without proper warnings or personnel there to guide traffic around the vehicle blocking traffic. This forces drivers to quickly evaluate and proceed into the opposite lane of oncoming traffic, often miscalculating the speed and distance of the traffic ahead.
DISTRACTED DRIVING
One thing that has remained consistent is the amount of distracted driving continuing to endanger the public. While many people are tired of the post-Hurricane Ian conditions that remain on our roadways, now is not the time to relax and forget about the dangers on the road. More pedestrian traffic, inadequate lighting from inoperable signs and lights that used to shine onto the streets at night, often leads to crashes with devastating consequences.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, our attorneys are available 24/7 at (239)461-5508 to guide you through the steps ahead. If roadway factors played a role in the accident, photographs of the area are particularly valuable.