Tampa Bay sees many visitors yearly. Many individuals and families also live there. Both residents and visitors find plenty there that they like.
They might enjoy the professional sports teams, like the Tampa Bay Rays, that have gotten off to a great start this year. They may attend a Tampa Bay Lightning game. The Lightning have reached hockey’s upper echelons in recent years.
Residents and visitors might also like lying out on the beach, surfing, fishing, and swimming. They might enjoy the fine dining that Tampa offers, and the vibrant club scene. There’s something for everyone in Tampa.
It’s not a paradise, though. The Tampa area sees many car wrecks, perhaps more than its share. Hillsborough County saw 28,290 car wrecks in 2022. That county includes Tampa Bay, and you can expect similar numbers most years.
Let’s discuss the Tampa Bay car accident problem right now.
What Causes These Accidents?
If you visit Tampa, you might notice that people like speeding on the highways. Several highways run around and through Tampa, and some drivers like testing a car’s limits.
They might do so because they own sports cars, and they like seeing whether these precision machines can truly hit the high numbers on the speedometer. You might also have someone who’s in a hurry and won’t let something like the posted speed limit signs stop them.
Speeding isn’t smart, so you should avoid that behavior if you live in Tampa or you’re visiting. The police might pull you over and ticket you if they catch you, but you can also cause a serious or fatal accident if you’re not careful.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving also causes some accidents in Tampa Bay. You might have someone who drinks at home and then drives to the store to pick up another six-pack. You may also see individuals who drink at bars and then try driving home or heading to the next bar when they’re already over the legal limit.
These situations endanger the drivers, other drivers on the road, pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone else who gets in that drunk driver’s way. Some people don’t take drunk driving seriously, but if they cause a wreck that injures or even kills someone, they might realize the ramifications then. At that point, it’s too late, though.
Road Rage Incidents
You might also see road rage incidents on the road in Tampa from time to time. You may have a driver who has problems at home. Perhaps they get into an argument with a significant other or some other family member. They take those feelings out onto the highway with them.
Maybe a driver isn’t doing so well at work. Perhaps an argument with their boss or a coworker triggers their reckless driving on the road.
If this driver thinks that someone cut them off in traffic or something of that nature, they might chase after that driver and hit them with their car. They might gesture angrily or curse at them.
If that happens, you might see both drivers get out and get into a fistfight in the middle of the street. You may also see one driver pull out a bat, a knife, or even a gun. Gun violence stemming from road rage incidents can absolutely occur in the Tampa area.
You probably should not drive if you’re feeling angry, but if you do, you should not let that anger impact your decisions. If a driver cuts you off, take a deep breath and count to ten rather than chasing after them or yelling at them. That action might save your life.
Distracted Driving
You might see someone drive when you’re distracted in Tampa as well. That’s a problem in the city but all across the country too.
Distracted driving includes many behaviors. That term acts as a catchall. You might have someone eating some takeout food in their car. They may not watch the road ahead of them if they are trying to eat some fries or enjoy a milkshake.
A driver might argue with a passenger, which can distract them. Maybe they have some kids in the vehicle who kick the seat, sing, cry, or otherwise make noise. That can certainly distract a driver and cause a wreck.
Maybe someone tries adjusting the radio if they don’t like the song that’s playing. They might try to use a navigation system, and they take their eyes away from the road that way.
No matter what distracts a driver, they’re risking a car wreck if they can’t focus and ignore what’s happening around them. You should realize if you can’t pay attention that you’re endangering yourself and other drivers.
What Happens if You Cause an Accident?
If you cause a car accident in Tampa, and it’s clearly your fault, you must pay for the damage out of your insurance policy. Hopefully, your policy will cover your car’s repairs, the other vehicle’s damage, if you caused any, and any other additional damage. If your policy doesn’t cover everything, you must pay for whatever remains out of pocket.
You can expect higher insurance premiums after that. You might spend days or weeks recovering if you injured yourself in a car wreck and you must take some time off from work. Maybe, if you hurt yourself badly, you can’t keep working at the same job. You might see whether you can get another position in your industry instead.
The other driver might sue you if they feel you acted recklessly. If that happens, you must hire a lawyer and defend yourself in court. You might settle with the other driver. If so, that can diminish your assets or even bankrupt you.
You can avoid all these possibilities by driving responsibly in Tampa Bay. Whether you’re visiting or you live there, it’s only an idyllic paradise if you behave responsibly. Most people do, so don’t ruin their good time through poor driving behaviors like we’ve mentioned in this article.
