Fall Is a Dangerous Time to Be on the Road
In some ways, the autumn is the perfect time for a road trip in North Florida. Hurricane season is winding down, and those terrifying afternoon thunderstorms have given way to pleasant rain showers. People are well aware of the hazards of driving in the winter; the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are peak season for drunk driving, and roads can become icy in Florida’s northern counties even though proper snowstorms are rare. The summer driving hazards are also well known, from excessive heat to inclement weather to dangerous drives home from alcohol-fueled festivities. The fall has its own set of seasonal hazards that can place drivers in danger, and many of them are preventable. A Jacksonville car accident lawyer can help you if you have suffered serious injuries in a car accident in the autumn.
Deer Season Is Distracted Driving Season
Deer populations are present in 47 U.S. states, including Florida. While the key deer in southern Florida are so endangered that you cannot hunt them, white-tailed deer are abundant. They have about as much awareness of the rules of the road as alligators do, and they move much faster. It causes major distractions when a deer unexpectedly bounds across the road, and it is even worse when a deer stops in the middle of a lane of traffic. The reason that deer are considered a seasonal hazard is that deer mating season is in the fall, therefore, in the autumn months, deer travel more widely in search of mates, so they are more likely to venture into areas where there is vehicular traffic.
Autumn Leaves Mean Slippery Roads
In southern Florida, it’s all palm trees and tropical vegetation, but northern Florida has its share of deciduous trees where the leaves change color and then fall off every autumn. Fall leaves are a beautiful sight, but if they accumulate on a road, they can be dangerous. It only takes a few hours of leaves being on the ground before they become waterlogged and begin to disintegrate, creating a slippery mess. Driving on a road covered in rotten autumn leaves is almost as dangerous as driving on a road covered in ice.
Football Season Is Drunk Driving Season
Drunk driving is dangerous at every time of year, but fall brings some occasions where people are likely to drink and likely to drive. The college drinking scene is big in North Florida, which is not known for its walkable college towns, so it is also the college drunk driving scene. From new student orientation to sorority and fraternity rush, you will find plenty of young, drunk drivers on the road in the fall. Likewise, football fans of all ages gather to watch football games in the fall, so beware of drunk drivers on their way home from sports bars and tailgate parties.
Contact Douglas & Douglas About Car Accident Cases
A North Florida personal injury lawyer can help you if you are suffering from serious injuries as a result of a preventable car accident. Contact Douglas & Douglas in Jacksonville, Florida for a free consultation.
Source:
geico.com/living/home/home-protection/autumn-leaves/
