If you are familiar with driving in Orlando, you probably already know that you are always at risk of an accident – which is why it’s a good idea to keep an Orlando car accident lawyer on speed dial. When you combine tourists, 6-lane highways, work commuters, and commercial vehicles during rush hour, you are looking at a recipe for disaster. We checked out some reports, and are back to let you know about the times you are most likely to have a car accident in Orlando. Take look below at the different high-risk times of the day and week.
Morning Rush Hour
Morning rush hour is the less severe of the two, but you are still put at risk of an accident when you put a lot of people onto the highway all at once. We’ve all seen then: people grooming in the mirror, eating their breakfast, or even reading the newspaper while sitting in traffic. Obviously, any time someone takes their attention off the road to focus on other things is putting themselves and everyone around them at risk of an accident.
One way that you could avoid this risk is by adjusting your schedule if possible. Starting your day either earlier or later in the day can give you an advantage by avoiding the rush hour traffic in both directions. However, this adjustment does mean that the rest of your life would need to shift forward or backward as well, so this may not be ideal.
Evening Rush Hour
According to the TomTom traffic index, the evening rush hour is the worst traffic in Orlando. When you put a lot of people on a highway after a long day of work, you are just inviting an accident. The evening commute is 46% higher than normal! Distracted driving makes up a large portion of the causes of these accidents, whether it is someone texting home, checking last-minute emails, or playing with the radio to stay entertained through their commute. According to TomTom’s data, Thursday was the worst day of the week through 2016 for evening commute times.
When you combine the frustration of traffic with tired workers on their way home from a full day of work, it makes sense that there could be an increase in accidents. It also makes sense that Thursday would be the worst day of the week, when the employees of Orlando are exhausted from 4 full days of work. The decrease in traffic on Friday could be accounted for by people leaving the office early.
Midnight to 4 AM
When all of the commuters are home and in their beds, the drunks are on the road. When you are driving between the hours of midnight and 4 am, you are at a much higher risk of sharing the road with someone who is operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As a result, you are at risk of an accident with these irresponsible and dangerous drivers. According to the CDC, more than 37% of accidents at night are caused by – or involve – alcohol. In addition to alcohol impairment, people are more likely to be driving while fatigued at night, which can lead to lapses of judgment, or even falling asleep at the wheel.
Protecting Yourself In an Accident
Obviously, you can’t just stay at home to avoid accidents. The important things to remember is that you can take steps to reduce your risk of injury. Wearing a seatbelt is not required for anyone over the age of 18 in Florida, but is found to be enormously helpful in reducing injuries.
In addition to wearing your seatbelt, do yourself and everyone around you a huge favor and stay sober behind the wheel. Drunk driving is a major problem in the United States, and puts everyone at risk on the road.
Finally, it is important to reduce distractions as much as possible while driving. This means setting your GPS before you get on the road, turning your phone on “Do Not Disturb,” using hands-free calling devices, and doing your makeup and eating breakfast at home each morning. Even in slow, congested traffic, a fender bender can cause serious injuries, like whiplash or concussions.
1800-Injured is a referral service for personal injury lawyers and medical services. If you have been in a car accident, contact us immediately to get connected with an attorney who can review your case.