Legislators spend considerable amounts of time creating new rules and regulations to prevent truck accidents in Fort Lauderdale and other US communities. However, even if you are not a lawmaker, there are many things you can do to prevent these types of accidents from occurring:
1) Find out more. Educate yourself about legislation that is designed to prevent truck and traffic accidents. This summer, for example, many communities are passing new laws concerning food trucks. Find out about the issues and write to your elected representatives with your views. You can determine which issues your elected representatives champion by being vocal about how important traffic safety is to you.
2) Take a stand. Groups such as Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and other organizations work to raise awareness about issues that affect driver and truck safety. You can join one of these groups or support them by volunteering in order to help raise more awareness and in order to put more pressure on lawmakers to pass laws to prevent truck and car collisions in Fort Lauderdale and across the country.
3) Take a look at your own driving habits. Research has shown that traffic collisions in Fort Lauderdale and other communities involving trucks and passenger cars are more likely to be caused by the passenger car driver. In large part, this is because commercial truck drivers have more experience on the roads, are subject to stricter regulations, and see more training than the average motorist. A significant part of preventing car accidents, therefore, is making sure that you are as safe as possible when driving so that you can prevent collisions.
4) Report dangerous driving when you see it. Most commercial trucks have bumper stickers and toll-free numbers right on the trucks themselves so that motorists can report bad driving. If you see a truck driver or another motorist who appears to be driving erratically or may be inebriated, you will want to call 911. You may end up preventing a drunk driving collision in Fort Lauderdale or your community.
5) Pass on the message. Share your concerns about truck safety and your ideas for preventing accidents with others. If you are part of a homeowners association, for example, you may want to find ways to make your own neighborhood streets safer. If you have children, you can make sure that your children learn road safety early so that they can avoid bicycle accidents in Fort Lauderdale or your community and eventually become safe drivers.
Many people assume that there is little they can do to affect the rate of traffic accidents in their community, but this is simply not true. Even small efforts can eventually yield big results.
If you have been injured in a truck accident in Florida, there is something additional you can do to prevent future traffic accidents: speak with a personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale about your rights. Filing a legal claim can help ensure that you pursue compensation that can help you pay for damages and injuries but it can also help ensure that motor carriers make important safety changes that can help prevent future accidents. To find out more about your options after an accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group today for a free case review.