The number one cause of car accidents is negligent drivers, typically involving distracted driving, speeding, or intoxication. However, issues like poor road design, defective vehicle equipment, and weather conditions are also significant contributing factors.
While negligence takes many forms, it’s important to recognize that nearly all motor vehicle accidents could be avoided if everyone involved were following traffic safety laws and exercising due care. If you’ve been injured because another driver was careless on the road, the best way to protect your rights is to speak with an experienced auto accident attorney in Jacksonville right away, as car insurance companies often make it difficult to secure the compensation you deserve.
Top Driver-Related Car Accident Causes
Most of the ways Florida drivers cause car accidents involve violations of traffic law. For example:
Distracted Driving
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), more than 2,200 people in Florida were seriously injured by distracted drivers in 2024, and nearly 300 were killed. These serious collisions make up only a small percentage of distracted driving accidents in the state. Earlier data suggested that distracted drivers played a role in one of every seven motor vehicle crashes in the state.
Driving Under the Influence
In 2024, the most recent year reported, there were 6,026 known crashes involving an impaired driver. Those crashes resulted in 969 deaths, making up more than 28% of all Florida traffic fatalities for the year. While the vast majority of these crashes involve alcohol or illicit drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana, it is also dangerous, negligent, and illegal to drive under the influence of a legally prescribed drug that impairs your ability to operate the vehicle safely.
Speeding and Aggressive Driving
The most recent report from the FLHSMV showed more than 16,000 incidents involving speed and aggressive driving. While many of those events didn’t cause injury, hundreds of people were killed, and more than 1,000 suffered incapacitating injuries. While a fraction of these involved both speeding and aggressive driving, speeding alone accounted for 169 deaths and 461 incapacitating injuries.
Other Driver-Related Accident Causes
The three causes above, when combined, account for most Florida traffic fatalities. However, there are several other common driver-related causes, including:
- Driving while fatigued
- Following too close
- Cutting abruptly in front of another vehicle
- Disregarding a traffic sign or signal
- Failing to signal a turn or lane change
- Negligent vehicle maintenance
- Health-related incidents, such as heart attacks or seizures
Non-Driver-Related Car Accident Causes
Sometimes, the cause of a car accident begins with something outside the driver’s control. Some common examples include:
- Weather conditions, such as heavy rain
- Poor visibility due to fog or poorly-lit roads
- Failure of a vehicle component or feature, such as brakes going out
- Debris in the roadway
- A child or other pedestrian stepping into the road unexpectedly
- An object like a child’s toy entering the road unexpectedly
- An animal running out into the road
- Poorly designed roadways or confusing signage
- A driver not involved in the crash forcing evasive action
While these and other variables can play a role in Florida car accidents, it’s important to keep in mind that driver behavior can still make the difference between crashing and not. For example:
- Reducing speed in the rain or when visibility is poor can significantly reduce the risk of collision
- Regular vehicle maintenance reduces the risk of a faulty part causing an accident, though some crashes are caused by defective parts the driver could not have been aware of
- Remaining attentive while driving through residential neighborhoods and streets with foot traffic can allow the driver time to react safely if a person or object enters the road
- Maintaining a safe following distance can help avoid a collision if someone steps out in front of the vehicle in front of you, or the vehicle you are following encounters debris in the road
The Bottom Line on Jacksonville Car Accidents
Most car accidents are avoidable. The best way to avoid being injured in a motor vehicle accident is to drive carefully, keep your attention on the road, and observe all traffic laws. Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking or are under the influence of drugs that may impair your ability to drive safely, or if you are too tired or ill to operate the vehicle safely.
Liability for a Jacksonville Car Accident
When a crash does happen, it is usually at least partly the fault of one of the drivers involved. But there may be other responsible parties. For example, a vehicle manufacturer or the manufacturer of a component part may be to blame if a defective part contributed to the accident. Or, the entity responsible for road maintenance may be partly to blame if they failed to clear debris in the road within a reasonable time.
An experienced car accident lawyer in Jacksonville, FL can assess your case to help ensure that you’ve identified all possible responsible parties. That’s critical. If you leave someone out, you could lose out on full compensation for your losses.
Talk to a Jacksonville Car Accident Attorney Today
You have up to two years to file most car accident cases in Florida, but there are many reasons you should talk to a Jacksonville car accident lawyer right away. When you hire a car crash lawyer soon after your accident, your personal injury attorney has a better opportunity to investigate while evidence is available and witness memories are fresh.
It’s also best to let your car accident lawyer take over interactions with the insurance company right away, because they don’t always play fair.
You can schedule a free consultation with an experienced Jacksonville car accident attorney at Harrell & Harrell right now. Just call us at (904) 251-1111 or fill out our contact form. You owe it to yourself and your family to do everything you can to protect your claim and pursue the compensation you deserve.