Florida led the nation in traffic fatalities among people 65 or older, according to a report released this month by the AAA Foundation. Warning of the coming “challenges presented by an aging population of motorists,” the Foundation is urging Florida and other states to develop consistent and comprehensive standards for judging whether drivers are fit to get behind the wheel; regardless of their age. Indeed, teenagers represent the largest percentage of drivers involved in Florida automobile accidents.

Florida’s road can be a dangerous place, making it more important than ever to purchase as much uninsured motorist protection insurance coverage (UM) as possible, including the option of purchasing stacked coverage. Many people do not appreciate the significance of UM coverage until they are involved in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. Without UM coverage, there is no way to recover for the loss.

The HealthGrades Guide to America’s Hospitals and Doctors was released last month with important information for consumers about the quality of virtually every hospital in the country. The reference guide also devotes several chapters to getting the best medical care, from finding the best doctor and hospital to protecting yourself from medical errors.

Medical errors cost Americans nearly $9 billion from 2004 to 2006 and resulted in 238,337 potentially preventable deaths among hospitalized patients, according to HealthGrades’ analysis of Medicare records. “There can be enormous quality differences from one hospital to another, and one doctor to another, and this guide will point readers to the best care, wherever they live,” according to author Dr. Samantha Collier who also is HealthGrades’ chief medical officer.

Dr. Collier offers several ways to avoid becoming the victim of medical errors while hospitalized. Know your daily treatment plan and be prepared when the doctor arrives, ask nurses or doctors to address you by name to prevent them from giving you someone else’s medication, and have a family member or friend act as your advocate to help direct your care and keep track of your treatment plan.

Beginning this month, new motorcyclists in Florida must successfully complete the Basic Rider Course through the Florida Rider Trainer Program before they can have the motorcycle endorsement added to their driver license. This is a sensible law considering that 80 percent of motorcycle crashes injure or kill a rider (compared to only 20 percent of passenger car crashes).

The overwhelming number of motorcyclists involved in solo crashes did not follow the basic but important rules of riding, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation which advocates that motorcyclists receive training and licensure, wear protective gear, ride unimpaired and within their limits, and be lifelong learners by taking refresher riding courses.

To find a local Basic Rider Course sponsor or teacher in your area, visit http://motorcycles.hsmv.state.fl.us or call (850) 488-3286.

Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer with many Central Floridians planning to enjoy a variety of watercraft activities on the region’s more than 2,700 large lakes. However, watercraft enthusiasts beware.

Florida led the nation in boating fatalities last year, according to statistics from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This is the 16th time in 20 years that Florida has topped the list, prompting the Commission to approve a plan for mandatory boater education requirements phased in over the next 11 years, according to the Associated Press.

Last year, 70 percent of all boating accidents involved operators with no formal safety education; for fatalities, that number was 85 percent, the AP reported, adding that state officials believe mandatory education could reduce the number of fatalities by as much as 25 percent.

Boating safety is no accident. Please read our firm newsletter that addresses the importance of practicing watercraft safety and provides information on local boating courses is available from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Abuse and neglect of Florida’s elderly have risen a dramatic 15 percent in the past year, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel. So far this fiscal year, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) has received about 4,050 reports from Orange, Osceola, Brevard and Seminole counties alone.

Our firm has seen a significant increase in elder abuse cases since the Florida legislature passed nursing home protections in response to the industry’s claims that frivolous lawsuits were rampant during the 1990s and early this decade. However, during this same period, we also saw a steady decrease in the number of cases involving elder abuse.

DCF has called for increased training of investigators and greater vigilance by neighbors and family. DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth attributes the increasing abuse to a struggling economy when tempers flare and predators seek out the elderly for financial gain.

From my perspective, the increasing reports of elder abuse and neglect have occurred because there is limited financial consequence for the nursing home industry due to the protections passed by the Florida legislature. Coincidence or not?

Despite governmental awareness programs and parental oversight and pleading, more than two-thirds of young drivers and passengers killed in nighttime car crashes aren’t wearing seat belts, according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is an alarming statistic for parents of teenagers.

In response, this year’s NHTSA “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign, which began on May 19, will focus on nighttime seat belt use when the odds of being killed in a car crash are three times greater.

Too often, our practice sees the catastrophic results when unbelted drivers and occupants are involved in car crashes. The lesson learned from the vast majority of these cases is that serious injury and death can be avoided by making seat belt use a habit for both drivers and passengers.

“Seat belt use among young drivers and occupants is not what it should be, especially at night when the risk of dying in a crash triples,” said NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason. “Clearly, we need to do more to make people of all ages understand that – whether traveling by car, SUV or truck – a seat belt is the best way to stay alive, day or night.”