The 12 Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Gainesville, FL

Bill Allen | October 2, 2022 | Car Accidents

The 12 Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Gainesville, FL

In 2021, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported a total of 401,496 motor vehicle crashes. While some of these were minor fender benders that only caused property damage, there were 252,938 reported injuries and 3,731 fatalities. 

As of September 15, 2022, Florida has already experienced 266,239 car accidents, which have caused 168,916 injuries and 2,331 deaths. 

Traffic accidents occur for a variety of reasons. While there may be a predominant or primary cause for most accidents, it is not uncommon for crashes to involve multiple errors or oversights by multiple drivers. The risk of car wrecks increases as the number of negligent drivers in close proximity to one another increases.

Common Reasons for Gainesville Car Wrecks

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, some of the frequently-encountered reasons for car accidents include:

Distracted Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shares that distracted driving means driving while engaged in any kind of activity that could pull attention away from the task of driving. Distracted driving played a role in 314 fatalities and over 13,000 injuries on Florida’s roads in 2020.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving includes driving over the speed limit and taking unnecessary risks behind the wheel. This behavior played a role in 415 fatalities and approximately 5,000 injuries in 2020.

Drugs and Alcohol

Drugs and alcohol impair your ability to react to dangers and safely drive your vehicle. In 2020, alcohol and drug impairment played a role in a combined total of 768 fatalities.

Failure to Yield the Right of Way

Right-of-way laws exist to help control the flow of traffic, especially when traffic from multiple directions converges at a single location, like an intersection. Intersections were the location of 928 fatalities in Florida in 2020.

Drowsy Driving

Like driving while intoxicated, driving while drowsy impairs your ability to react quickly and safely to changing traffic conditions. Drowsy driving was found to be a factor in 64 fatalities in Florida in 2020.

Work Zones and Other Road Hazards

You may have taken the same route to work every day for the past five years. Your complacency can place you at an increased risk of a crash when road construction or detours arise. Seventy-seven fatalities occurred in road work zones in 2020.

Driver Inexperience and Age

Young drivers lack the experience necessary to make smart, snap decisions behind the wheel. And older drivers may lack the reflexes to react to changing traffic situations. Drivers between 15 and 19 years of age and those over 65 years of age accounted for a combined total of 460 fatalities in 2020.

These represent some of the most common reasons that car crashes occurred in Gainesville and throughout Florida. However, other factors may also contribute to crashes.

Other Circumstances that Lead to Car Wrecks in Gainesville, FL

Besides the most common reasons for car wrecks, other factors and circumstances can either lead to wrecks or make them more likely to occur. 

These include:

  • Inclement weather, such as rain and fog
  • Time of day also plays a role, as nighttime reduces a driver’s visibility
  • A car’s physical condition, including the condition of its brakes and tires
  • Passengers who are unruly or talkative and distract the driver
  • Disobeying other traffic laws like following too closely or not using turn signals
  • Poor road design and maintenance, making it challenging to safely control a car

Drivers cannot control the weather or fix Gainesville’s roads, but they are responsible for their behavior. Reducing the number of injury and fatal crashes in Gainesville begins with each driver slowing down, paying attention to the road, and obeying traffic laws.

Contact Our Gainesville Car Accident Law Firm in North Central Florida

If you need legal assistance, contact the Gainesville car accident lawyers at Allen Law Firm at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We have three convenient locations in North Central Florida:

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Gainesville office
2550 SW 76th St #150
Gainesville, FL 32608
(877) 255-3652

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Downtown Gainesville
621 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL 32601
(866) 928-6292

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Ocala Office
112 S Pine Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 351-3258