Articles Posted in Pedestrians/Bicyclists

The number of pedestrian accidents in Florida has reached epidemic proportion. Pedestrian accidents in Fort Myers and Cape Coral are tragically common occurrences. Inattentive motorists, lack of sidewalks, inadequate lighting, and missing street signs and crosswalks are just a few of the common causes.

Our Fort Myers personal injury attorneys were not surprised to learn that Florida posted the greatest increase in pedestrian accidents of any state in the nation last year, according to a new study released by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.

Just four states — Florida, California, Texas and New York — account for 41 percent of the nation’s pedestrian accidents. Despite an overall decline in traffic fatalities reported nationwide, the total number of fatal pedestrian accidents increased during the first six months of 2010, to 1,891 from the 1,884 deaths recorded during the same period of 2009.

Florida led the nation with an increase of 36 deaths, followed by Arizona (up 21), Oregon (up 18), North Carolina (up 17) and Oklahoma (up 16). The GHSA reports 243 deaths were reported in Florida during the first six months of 2010, more than anywhere in the nation except California (260).

A total of 466 pedestrian deaths were reported in Florida in 2009. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 490 Florida pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2008. Authorities are concerned about even a slight increase after years of decline.

“Nationally, pedestrian fatalities account for about 12 percent of overall traffic deaths, a small but significant portion. Given that we have made so much progress in this area, GHSA is concerned to see this reversal. One factor may be the increased distractions for both pedestrians and drivers,” said GHSA Chairman Vernon Betkey. “Anyone who travels in a busy city has seen countless pedestrians engrossed in conversation or listening to music while crossing a busy street. Just as drivers need to focus on driving safely, pedestrians need to focus on walking safely – without distractions.”

Twenty eight states reported a decline in pedestrian accidents, while 18 other reported an increase. Florida was among 8 states that reported a double-digit increase.

Safety advocates say improving pedestrian safety starts at the local level and includes prioritization, data analysis, engineering, education and laws and enforcement. Population is also a key determining factor. The four states with the highest population, including Florida, accounted for nearly half of all pedestrian deaths. Meanwhile, 25 other states accounted for just 12 percent of fatalities.
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Our pedestrian accident attorneys in Fort Myers and Cape Coral were not surprised to learn that Florida claimed four of the top five most dangerous spots in the nation for pedestrian accidents. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents have reached near epidemic proportions in Florida.

No area of the state is immune. And it is a year-around problem that impacts all ages, from grade-schoolers to the elderly. Florida accounts for more than 10 percent of the nation’s fatal pedestrian accidents ( 490 of 4,378 in 2008), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.. Only California records more fatal pedestrian accidents.

The new report by Transportation for America found the top five most dangerous metro areas in the nation are Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Memphis.

However, when looking at all areas of a state, Punta Gorda was the most dangerous area in Florida for pedestrian accidents. Followed by Vero Beach, Ocala, Panama City and Orlando.

The Cape Coral and Fort Myers area was the state’s ninth most dangerous, with a reported 32 fatal pedestrian accidents in 2007-2008. Naples-Marco Island placed 17th, with a reported 12 fatalities.

Nationwide, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed in pedestrian accidents in the last 15 years — more than 43,000 have lost their lives in the last decade alone. During that time, 3,906 children were killed. The federal government reports that pedestrian accidents disproportionately impact children and the elderly, with about 20 percent of all pedestrian accidents involving a victim over the age of 65.

The study recommends a number of improvement methods, including:

-Traffic calming and street design: Including signals that give pedestrians a head start in crossing the road. Such planning, when combined with speed-reduction measures, can reduce accidents by up to 70 percent.

-Complete Streets: Planning for upgrades and future road projects need to take into account the needs of all users, including bicyclists and pedestrians. The needs of various age groups and persons with disabilities also should be taken into account.

-Safe Routes to School Program: These programs take a comprehensive approach to student safety, whether walking, riding a bike, waiting at the bus stop or on the bus.

-Walkable Neighborhoods: Communities need to be designed with plenty of emphasis on walking and bicycling, including parks and public spaces, restaurants and nearby retail facilities.
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As the school year begins, we encourage Cape Coral and county officials to act quickly in installing school zone lights at Trafalgar Parkway and Skyline Boulevard.

The Lee County School District reports that about 2,000 students attend Trafalgar elementary and Trafalgar middle school. Skyline Boulevard is one of the city’s busiest. The News-Press reports local officials have given installation of school zone lights the go-ahead now that the price has dropped from $270,000 to $45,000.

We think it’s unfortunate that they were not installed long ago. Thousands of young children flood this area everyday and their safety should never be compromised by an attempt to keep costs down.

With the popular movement to “go green” and help reduce their impact on the environment, many people in Southwest Florida are embracing the more pedestrian methods of transportation – literally. High gas prices and the effort to leave a smaller carbon footprint in their wake are pushing many to seek out alternative ways to get from point A to point B – most notably, by riding a bicycle or simply walking.

However, with the urban sprawl and heavy traffic found in Southwest Florida, the mix of motor vehicles with bicyclists and people on foot can prove to be dangerous, if not deadly. While people may get satisfaction from trying to be more eco-friendly, they are often putting their lives at risk by walking or riding their bikes around our area.

The problem is that very little forethought went into the road planning and real estate development rush of years past when it comes to bicyclists and pedestrians. The lack of sidewalks, underpasses and other thoroughfares designed specifically for bikes and walkers forces them onto the streets, where the interaction with cars and trucks turns into a high-risk cat and mouse game. Those who advocate the use of bikes or walking locally are pushing for new ideas in urban planning, aimed at addressing the need for safer ways to get around, and saving lives in the process. In 2007 and 2008, 32 pedestrians and 10 bicyclists were killed in accidents involving motor vehicles in Lee County alone. The National Safety Council estimates that the cost of such an accident, when factoring in the cost of the accident itself and the economic impact of the loss of a productive life, to be around $4 million. City and County planners and engineers point out that designing and building new roads and sidewalks for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians is expensive, and even retrofitting our current infrastructure can carry a hefty price tag. Clearly, the cost of not doing so needs to be fully understood.

With the abundant sunshine and pleasant outdoor weather in Florida, the number of people on foot here makes our state one of the most dangerous when it comes to pedestrian safety. It’s no surprise to realize that a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle will likely suffer serious injuries, most often to the head, neck and spinal column. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) has identified Florida as a target for increased resources and educational efforts in an effort to reduce the numbers of pedestrians injured or killed on our roads. FHA works closely with state and local governments to administer programs aimed at keeping Florida’s pedestrians safe.

According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department, there were 502 pedestrian fatalities statewide in 2008. This means that 16.8% of all traffic fatalities were pedestrians. Additionally, there were 7,878 pedestrian injuries in the same year.

While most people might assume that alcohol is involved in only those accidents where the vehicle driver is impaired, drinking is a major problem with pedestrians in traffic crashes. 10.3% (922) of all pedestrians in crashes (8,951) had been drinking, and 36.25% (182) of all pedestrian fatalities (502) had been drinking. According to the statistics compiled by the State, the majority of pedestrians injured or killed in 2008 were either crossing the road in mid-block, walking alongside the road, working on their vehicle while in the road, working on the roadway itself or standing on a pedestrian island.