Welcome to South Florida, home of the morning commute. Too many people share their nightmares of being stuck on the Palmetto for over an hour-and-a-half or have to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-95. You also hear about the people who used to travel opposite of traffic, now finding themselves roped into the most miserable time of day.
The other frustrating thing about traffic in Miami are the awful drivers. Ask yourself, how often do you see an accident during your commute? Your answer was probably pretty frequent. Going through all of this chaos most likely makes you fear for your car. It’s not your driving that you’re most concerned about, it’s “will somebody else hit me and cause me the headache of being late to pick-up my kids,” or having to get another car and all the other not-so-fun things that come with a car accident. It’s hard to hear these horror stories because it’s not only dangerous for you, but it causes anxiety for when you have your family, especially children in the car.
How do you avoid a car accident in South Florida?
- Stay alert. It’s important to keep your eyes and mind on the road. There are more than 200,000 car accidents in the Sunshine State each year and distracted driving is the number one reason. Put the phone down and keep the music low. Some people in Florida lease cars, not only because the payment is lower and most repairs are covered by the factory warranty, but they will also have the most updated technology every time they get a new vehicle.
- Go the speed limit. Chances are there’s too much traffic to even speed, but if you find yourself in a rush to pick up the kids or meet up with friends, take it easy. You may have bought your car with a credit union auto loan and know you can drive it whatever way you want. However, when you're in a hurry think about your payment before you risk crashing your car. Save yourself the hassle of another down payment and insurance claim.
- Refrain from aggressive driving. Temperament while driving during rush hour can cause some folks to get a little out of hand. Don’t be the person that tailgates and end ups hitting the person in front of them, also don't be a constant lane switcher. Find a lane, stay in it and pass with care.
- Driving while intoxicated. Hopefully you aren’t doing this during rush hour, but maybe you had a happy hour after work. Just know, moms can let loose too! Sometimes you don’t realize just how many glasses, sometimes bottles of wine you’ve consumed. Stay safe and call Miami Taxi Cab, Uber or Lyft. You wouldn’t want to jeopardize your kids, car or anyone’s safety, including your own by making one irresponsible decision.
Rush hour is the busiest driving time in Florida and is the peak time for accidents to occur. Just know accidents happen, but the majority of them can be avoided. If you’re looking for something to keep you and your family safe, compare the advantages and disadvatnages of buying new or used and leasing options.
