Central Florida has been identified by experts as the most dangerous region in America for pedestrians, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Transportation for America, a non-profit, released the study. It is particularly disturbing to see the top 10 most dangerous cities—Florida was over represented. The Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area ranked second, Jacksonville was third and Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach ranked fourth.
The list was compiled using 10 years of fatal pedestrian accident data. The Orlando metro area had 557 pedestrian fatalities from 2000-2009. Orlando averaged 3 pedestrian deaths for every 100,000 citizens.
Transportation for America maintains that pedestrian accidents are preventable and advocates for alternative forms of transportation. It argues that design standards are flawed and place car safety ahead of all other commuters.
“[Pedestrian deaths] are typically labeled ‘accidents’ and attributed to error on the part of the motorist or the pedestrian,” the report states. “However, the majority of these deaths share a common thread: They occurred along ‘arterial’ roadways that were dangerous by design, streets engineered for speeding traffic with little or no provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs or bicycles.”
Some believe that Florida is ranked so high on the list because the state grew in population at the same time as the mass-produced automobile.
Please visit our site for more information on pedestrian accidents, and contact our firm for a free consultation if you or a loved one have been victimized.
Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. — Orlando car accident attorneys.