Tampa Bay Injury Attorney Blog
The stretch of roadway west of U.S. 19 in Pinellas County along 62nd Avenue North has little to no lighting, making this a serious hazard for drivers in this area at night.
In addition to poor lighting, there are also ditches on the side of the road and no turn lanes, according to reports.
With more drivers using 62nd Avenue North instead of Park Boulevard, heavier traffic is making the poor lighting an issue.
There is an apartment complex on 62nd Avenue North on between U.S. 19 and 49th Street and many drivers cannot see the turn into the driveway at night, causing them to run off the road and crash into a ditch.
This brings up an important issue involving street lighting and traffic accidents. Even though most drivers do not normally give it much thought, street lights are essential in preventing auto accidents. It is considerably more difficult for drivers to see possible road dangers, traffic signs, other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists when there is insufficient lighting. Furthermore, poor lighting might make some driving dangers worse. It is essential to install streetlights in a way that is advantageous to drivers.
Researchers have discovered that poor street illumination has a significant impact on auto accidents. According to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analysis, in a single year, problems with signs or signals caused over 1,000 crashes across the country. There were additional 1,000 crashes due to poor roadway design.
Additional data support these conclusions. Researchers discovered that most fatal crashes happened between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. in a different NHTSA report. In similar fashion, crashes resulting in injuries most frequently happened between 3 p.m. and 5:59 p.m. Depending on the season, certain times of day can have either minimal or no natural lighting, which suggests that improved street lighting could help lower the number of collisions.
Poor lighting can cause traffic accidents in several ways:
- Decreased reaction times: Drivers may have slower reaction times in inadequate lighting, making it more difficult to avoid collisions.
- Reduced visibility: Poor lighting can make it difficult to see road signs, pedestrians, other vehicles, crosswalks, stalled vehicles, debris, and wild animals.
- Increased driving hazards: Poor lighting can make it harder to see potential hazards on the road, such as stalled vehicles, debris, and wild animals.
- Malfunctioning traffic signals: Malfunctioning or defective traffic signals can cause accidents.
If you have been harmed in a car accident where inadequate lighting played a role as a driver or a pedestrian, contact our Pinellas County Traffic Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton at 727-823-0000 or contact us online for a FREE consultation. We can answer any questions you have and help you understand what your legal options are.