The recent series of Amtrak train accidents, derailments and crashes has focused attention on the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure. Highways, tunnels, bridges and railroads need a lot of maintenance to prevent transportation accidents, injuries and deaths. But governments have not been paying attention to the problem. The advocacy group Infrastructure Report Card gave America a “D+” for its efforts.
In addition to the Amtrak derailment that took several lives near Seattle, a recent Orlando area SunRail train accident claimed the life of a truck driver who was trying to get his semi off the tracks. Despite safety awareness campaigns by the Florida Trucking Association, truck and train collisions in Florida seem to be a daily occurrence.
Recent train-truck collision accidents include:
- A Palatka man died when a train crashed into his truck in Palatka.
- In Lakeland, a CSX freight train collided with a tractor-trailer, ripping the semi in half.
- A similar train crash in Cocoa killed another Florida truck driver.
- In Polk County, an Amtrak train crashed into a semi-trailer.
Train Accidents aren’t the Only Problem
The American Society of Civil Engineers recently reported that Florida’s spending on transportation infrastructure is not keeping pace with population growth. The engineers noted that the state grows the equivalent of the city the size of Jacksonville every five years. Such a growth rate requires massive spending to maintain and upgrade transportation systems.
Roadway maintenance is critical to public safety. State officials say that between 2010 and 2014, nearly 10,000 people died and 80,000 were injured in car and truck accidents on Florida’s roads. Highway improvement projects such as Ultimate I-4 are helping, but there is a long way to go.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, there’s no way to entirely prevent car crashes, bus accidents, or train collisions. The Orlando car accident attorneys at Martinez Manglardi can help you recover losses if you’ve been injured in any kind of transportation accident. If you need a vehicle accident attorney, call 407-846-2240 for a free consultation. Offices throughout Central Florida.
