Deadly Rural Driving: Safety Belts Save Lives

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Car and Motorcycle Accidents

4/30/2009
Jeffrey Meldon
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Deadly Rural Driving: Safety Belts Save Lives

Rural two-lane highways in the Southeast are the largest and most deadly class of roads. The fatality rate for rural crashes is more than twice the fatality rate of urban crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In light of the recent Green Cove Springs accident where two teens were ejected out of a pick-up truck, and as a Gainesville accident attorney with 38 years of experience with personal injury law, I am especially concerned for the safety of rural drivers in North Central Florida. Our rural communities are at risk.

It is wise to be aware of the many factors, identified by the NHTSA and other studies, that make rural driving especially deadly:

More vehicle miles travelled in rural areas due to greater distance between destinations;
Less access to public transportation;
Increased likelihood of travelling at speeds greater than 55 mph;
Rural roads have more bends and curves than urban roads;
Greater wooded areas increase chances a driver may hit a tree;
Night driving poses greater risks due to lack of adequate lighting;
It takes twice as long for EMS to arrive at the scene of a rural crash (19 compared to 7 minutes);
Pavement drop offs due to soil erosion on highway edges;
Pick up trucks, a high risk group of motor vehicles, are more often driven on rural roads.

The most simple and cost-effective safety measure to combat risks to rural drivers is to wear a safety belt in compliance with Florida's Safety Belt Law.

NHTSA data shows that the use of a safety belt use for a passenger vehicle reduces the risk of fatality by 45 percent and the chance of serious injury by 50 percent. Safety belts can saves lives-particularly in North Central Florida's rural areas.

For more information:
Be Safe, Obey the Law and Buckle Up
Rural Teen Drivers Are at Higher Risk
Know the Law About Pick-up Trucks and Buckle Up

Labels: deadly rural crashes rural driving seat belt

We at the Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon and Associates strongly believe that public education is the first step in the prevention of an accident or in the recovery from one.

We are experienced personal injury attorneys, trial lawyers, negotiators, litigators and staff that have been proudly working to get accident victims the justice they deserve for over 30 years in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, and the rest of North Central Florida and North Florida. Accidents involving a car crash, truck wreck, and motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents, dog bites, slip and falls and medical malpractice are all included in our practice.

Based on Jeffrey Meldon's, founder of The Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon & Associates, over 30 years of helping accident victims get justice and a fair shake from the insurance companies he has written the consumer guide book, Seven Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Florida Accident Case. You can request your free, no obligation copy right now, or contact our office for your complimentary copy sent to you today.

Contact the Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon at (800) 373-8000 or (352) 373-8000 immediately if you have been involved in a serious auto, truck or motorcycle accident. We are in your community, have the experience and resources required to work towards obtaining a fair settlement for you - we are here to help you.

We proudly handle accidents that occur on all roads and in the areas including: I-75, I-10, I-95, U.S. Route 301, U.S. Route 441, State Road 40, State Road 26, State Road 24, Archer Road, Main St, and University Avenue. Our law firm has been representing accident victims in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, Palatka, Crystal River, Daytona Beach, Interlachen, Spring Hill, Dunnellon, Bunnell, Live Oak, Starke, Jasper, Cross City, Perry, Trenton, Leesberg, Lake Butler, Tavares, Chiefland, Bronson, Brooksville, The Villages and the counties of Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Citrus, Volusia, Sumter, Levy, Lake, Bradford, Flagler, Hamilton, Dixie, Gilchrist, Union, Hernando, Suwannee, Union, and Putnam since 1971!

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