Florida motor vehicle accidents that occur because of a negligent driver can leave motorists, passengers, and pedestrians in a precarious physical, financial, and emotional position. Although accidents can range in severity, head-on collisions tend to result in some of the most perilous situations for those involved. While Florida head-on collisions do not occur as often as other types of accidents, these tend to result in more catastrophic injuries.
The severity of these accidents depends on the vehicle’s force, or energy when it hits another vehicle or object. In typical driving situations, slow stopping will allow the vehicle’s brakes to absorb some of the energy. However, all of a vehicle’s kinetic energy must dissipate for the car to come to a complete stop. As such, when a fast-moving car comes to a sudden stop, all of the energy must dispel immediately. Thus the force and severity of an accident depend on how much energy the car has at the moment of the collision. Scientifically speaking, when two cars are moving towards each other, the kinetic energy will result in a more severe accident. For example, two cars traveling at 50 mph that slam into each other will be similar to the vehicles hitting a concrete wall.
In most cases, a driver can do something to minimize the force of the collision even when an accident seems inevitable. Drivers can reduce their speed, hit something softer, or try and hit the oncoming vehicle from the side rather than head-on. In any event, these accidents often result in serious and life-threatening injuries. For example, a recent report described a Florida head-on accident that took the life of a 26-year-old man. Police records indicate that a 72-year-old man was driving northbound when he veered to the right and struck a cable box. The vehicle then traveled back into the northbound lane, across a median, and struck the young man’s vehicle. Sadly, the young man died upon impact, and the 72-year old was taken to a hospital.