Pinellas County Averages 77 Car Crashes Per Day
Trusted Content
Late last year, a transportation advocacy group called Forward Pinellas crunched the numbers and found that over the last five years Pinellas County averaged 77 car crashes per day. In 2017 alone, Pinellas County averaged 83 crashes per day. This is a staggering number but not surprising. The report cited three main reasons for the statistic.
Drivers and Pedestrians Disobeying Traffic Laws
Whether it’s speeding, crossing against the light, or running red lights, many drivers and pedestrians in Pinellas County are simply not following the law. Traffic laws were put in place to keep everyone safe. However, if the laws aren’t followed, the situation becomes extremely dangerous. Pinellas County has a high percentage of high speed, high volume roadways, and not obeying traffic laws on these streets can lead to serious accidents.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is an epidemic across the country, and Pinellas County has not been spared. Drivers who are distracted by their phones or other technology in their cars are essentially driving blind. Taking your visual, cognitive, and manual attention off the road leads to a high probability of an accident occurring. With the implementation of Florida’s new texting and driving law, hopefully, the rate of distraction will decrease. However, phones are not the only things distracting drivers. Navigation systems, other passengers in the car, and other distractions are still present.
Increase in Drivers/Cars on the Road
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 150 new people move to the Tampa Bay area every year. Add to this the high number of tourists and the car-focused culture in Pinellas County, and there are simply too many cars on the road. More cars mean more accidents.
Solutions
Pinellas County is working toward some much-needed solutions to this car accident epidemic. These solutions include:
- Building more overpasses, including the ones planned over US-19
- Widening roads and working on major new corridors like the Gateway Express Project
- Adding more bike lanes and crosswalks
Hopefully, these improvements will help lower the number of accidents.
Contact a Pinellas County Accident Attorney
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you should contact a Pinellas County car accident attorney. At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk, we have over 30 years of experience helping accident victims in Pinellas County and throughout the Tampa Bay area. Contact us onlineor call us at 800-538-4878 to set up your free, no-obligation consultation today.