According to a recent report, Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrians. In fact, in 2023 alone, Florida reported 740 pedestrian deaths. Florida is also home to nine of the cities on the list of the 13 most deadly metropolitan areas for pedestrians in the country. In this article, we examine the dangers of being a pedestrian in Florida and provide tips for staying safe while traveling on foot.
Pedestrian Risk Factors
As noted above, pedestrians in Florida are at high risk of being involved in an accident. Risk factors for pedestrians in Florida include:
- Age: Pedestrians between the ages of 65 and 74 have the highest pedestrian fatality rate, and pedestrians between the ages of five and 18 have the lowest pedestrian fatality rate in Florida.
- Location: Pedestrian deaths in Florida are less likely to occur at an intersection than at an uncontrolled mid-point in an intersection. Approximately 13% of pedestrian fatalities occur when pedestrians are crossing an intersection. Over 40% of pedestrian deaths, however, occur near a controlled intersection but in an area where it is difficult to determine whether it is safe to cross.
- Time: Florida pedestrian deaths are most likely to occur between six p.m. and 12 a.m.
- Day: Fatal pedestrian accidents are most likely to happen on a Friday or a Saturday.
Pedestrian Safety Tips
In order to increase your odds of staying safe while on foot in Florida, you should do the following:
- Yield the right of way to traffic: As a pedestrian, you should always be cautious. Therefore, always look both ways before crossing the street, be sure to enter the road in a manner that gives drivers a clear opportunity to see you, and never dart into the road or emerge from between two parallel parked cars.
- Don’t walk while intoxicated: Everyone knows you shouldn’t drink and drive. However, walking while intoxicated can be equally as dangerous, especially when doing so near a busy road. Therefore, if you are too intoxicated to drive, you should also consider yourself too intoxicated to walk.
- Obey traffic signals: Obeying traffic signals can drastically reduce your odds of being injured in a pedestrian accident. Therefore, whenever possible, you should cross the road at designated crosswalks.
Contact a Pensacola Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in Florida, you should contact an experienced attorney immediately. At Staples, Ellis + Associates, P.A., our experienced personal injury attorneys are here to fight for your right to obtain financial compensation for your injuries. Located in Pensacola, Florida, Staples, Ellis + Associates, P.A., provides effective and aggressive legal representation to auto accident victims in Northwest Florida. When you come to us for help following a pedestrian accident, we will do everything in our power to ensure that you are compensated for your injuries. Please contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Posted in: Auto Accidents