A new study developed by the University of Michigan found that car accidents are mostly caused by women. Researchers studied thousands of traffic accidents over a 20-year time span. The results are surprising: female drivers are far more likely to run into a car driven by another woman than a man.

The study is bound to add fuel to the man vs. women fire. Lead author Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute said he and his colleague, Brandon Schoettle, wanted to determine if there was a gender interaction component in traffic accidents. In fact, Sivak called the results “astounding.” The team examined police reports of two-vehicle traffic accidents across the country from 1988 to 2007.

They focused in on cases where the drivers of both vehicles could “potentially” determine the gender of the other driver in the moments before the crash. The accidents occurred during “personal travel” and since men drive 60% of the time compared to a woman’s 40%, the researchers’ theorized men would be involved in more accidents.

The “expected” percentage of accidents in which both drivers were men should be around 36%, but the chances that a woman would run into another woman was expected to be less than 16%, because women drive less than men.

Crashes involving two female drivers were “overrepresented” in five out of six different crash scenarios: Variations on crossing another vehicle’s path, side-swiping, turning in front of another vehicle, and head on. But here’s the bizarre part – when both vehicles were driven by a female, the crashes exceeded the expected frequency by at least 50 percent in two scenarios, and more than 25 percent in three others.

At least one other study discredited the idea that men are better drivers than women are. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University revealed that female drivers were involved in more crashes then men, but the difference was not substantial – 5.1 crashes per million miles driven for men, compared to 5.7 crashes for women.

According to a new report released by Transportation for America, 11.1% of pedestrians and 17.4% of bicyclists were killed in Florida making it one of the deadliest states for walkers and bikers.

Out of the top 10 most dangerous cities, four Florida cities made the list: Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami.

Data also reveals that Florida has been in the top 3 in bicycle and pedestrian fatalities every year since 2001.

According to the report, three factors may contribute to the high number of fatalities:

• Massive population growth as Florida has developed faster than any other state
• Tourism development as 80 million visitors came to Florida last year alone.
• Climate may contribute to this high risk as more Floridians spend time outside.

How to Stay Street Smart

Here are some steps to ensure you prevent injuries and deaths from motor vehicle crashes:

• Be especially cautious at intersections where drivers often fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians while turning to another street.
• Increase self visibility at night by carrying a flashlight or investing in a clip-on blinking light that attaches to your clothes.
• Cross the street at a designated crosswalk when possible. Wait for the crosswalk light to permit you to cross as well.
• Avoid the use of your cell phone at dangerous intersections as it can distract you from incoming traffic.
• Walk facing traffic to ensure you are seen and being seen.

If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact the legal team at Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. Our personal injury lawyers have a vast amount of experience in dealing with pedestrian injuries and other personal injury cases. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Early Sunday morning a mother and daughter were killed after hitting a concrete barrier on Northwest 44th Avenue in their Chrysler PT Cruiser. The vehicle was found lying on its roof by employees who were arriving for work around 8:00a.m. Sunday morning. An “accident reconstructionist” has been called to help determine the cause of the accident, due to the fact that where the vehicle hit the barrier it was posted “Dead End” and was not open to traffic.

23 year old Spring Hill man was killed early Saturday morning on Interstate 75 South when his Pontiac G6 ran off the road. The young man, who was not wearing a seat-belt attempted to return to the road and slid sideways and entered the median on the opposite side of the road. The Pontiac was then struck by a cement culvert  causing the vehicle to airborne and eject the young man onto the shoulder of the northbound lanes and was then struck by a vehicle.