One in ten drivers don't recognize road signs
You see it every day on roads and highways in central Florida – a motorist makes a reckless maneuver that puts themselves or others in danger. They fail to yield the right-of-way at an intersection. Or they drive in a bicycles-only lane. Would you believe the driver may not know they did anything wrong?
A new survey of over 2,200 motorists nationwide found more than 10 percent of Florida drivers do not recognize basic traffic signs. That’s the eighth-worst percentage in the nation.
Think of the thousands of drivers you see on local roadways every day. Now realize that one in 10 does not understand the road signs that are telling them vital information about local driving conditions. These are fellow motorists with licenses – and they somehow managed to pass their driving tests!
Signs of trouble
The road signs that drivers understand the least were:
- U-turn only: 7.65 percent.
- Soft shoulder: 7.52 percent.
- Yield: 5.94 percent.
- Road shoulder much higher than surface: 5.36 percent.
- Bicycles only: 3.83 percent.
Most alarming? Probably the yield sign. Motorists come across yield signs at on-ramps, roundabouts and other places where they are merging with traffic. Yet many Florida drivers do not know they should be prepared to stop and yield the right of way.
The numbers are frightening to bicyclists, too. Florida, thanks to its climate, is popular with bicycling residents and tourists. Yet the signs that should protect them from vehicular traffic are not understood by some drivers.
Get years of legal experience on your side
Some of this information may seem amusing, given all the jokes about bad Florida drivers, but it’s also dangerous. You could be injured, out of work, and unable to pay your bills or support your family. The driver who injured you, in part because they do not know what they did wrong, is going to insist they are not at fault. It’s likely they will blame you for the accident. Their insurance company is going to seize on the confusion to make a lowball financial settlement offer. They’re hoping you will take less money than you deserve because you are desperate.
The car accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Brent C. Miller, P.A, have been handling cases just like yours in central Florida for more than 25 years. We have seen it all when it comes to motorists making excuses for causing the injuries of our clients. With our experience and legal knowledge, we can help secure a fair financial settlement for you and your family.
Contact us today at our offices in Tavares, Clermont, Inverness or The Villages for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win your case.
