Fatal Accidents in Florida Caused by Lane Departures 41% of the Time
A recent study of motor vehicle accidents by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) showed that 41% of motor vehicle accident fatality resulted from a vehicle departing from its lane. Nationwide, of the approximately 42,000 people who die in auto accidents each year, almost 60% die in accidents that involve a lane departure. About 40% of fatal auto accidents involve a single vehicle that leaves its lane and/or the road. In 2006, Florida had the third highest number of lane departure fatalities among all of the states.
The AASHTO provided several recommendations to reduce the number of lane departure accidents and fatalities. These include: flattening curves in the roads, installing shoulder and center line rumble strips that alert drivers to the fact that they are in danger of driving off of the road, enhance the conspicuity of sharp curves, eliminate shoulder drop offs that make it more difficult for vehicles that have left the road to return to the road, provide skid resistant pavement and remove fixed objects like trees and utility poles from the areas adjacent to the road.
