pedestrian injury

Pedestrian Safety in Focus as School Year Begins

September 3, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Increased focus on pedestrian safety is critical to reducing the risks as the school year gets underway, especially with the year-end holidays and the height of tourist season just around the corner.

South Florida has long been among the deadliest areas in the nation for pedestrians, thanks in large part to its combination of perfect year-round walking weather and imperfect infrastructure planning, the latter of which has resulted in a lack of streetlights and sidewalks in many local neighborhoods. More than 7,000 pedestrians were killed in 2021, compared to 4,000 in 2009, according to Smart Growth America, which publishes an annual report that has been particularly critical of Florida in recent years. Four of the nation’s 10 deadliest cities, and six of the 20 deadliest, are located in the Sunshine State.

Unfortunately, little progress has been made: Each of these cities has seen an increase in pedestrian fatalities in recent years.

Pedestrian Accidents in Focus this October

October 7, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is joining forces with local law enforcement this October to bring attention to National Pedestrian Safety Month.

Our pedestrian injury lawyers have written extensively about the epidemic of serious and fatal pedestrian collisions throughout Florida. South Florida, in particular, has been repeatedly cited as the most dangerous location in the nation for walkers, with Cape Coral, Orlando, and Miami all making the list of 5 most dangerous metro areas in the country for pedestrians.

“Last year, we lost more than 700 Floridians – our friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers – in senseless and preventable pedestrian-involved crashes,” said FLHSMV Executive Director, Terry L. Rhodes. “Pedestrian safety is not a one-way street – it’s the responsibility of all road users, and it’s crucial that motorists and pedestrians alike stay alert and look out for one another’s safety.

Last year, more than 8,000 pedestrian collisions in Florida claimed 712 lives, accounting for 1 in every 5 traffic fatalities. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association reports Florida pedestrian deaths declined by 2 percent last year, the first decline in more than a decade. However, the state still ranked deadliest in the nation behind California, which was the only state to report more than 1,000 walking deaths.

Vulnerable Road Users Remain at High Risk, Despite Covid

June 7, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

New statistics and growing anecdotal evidence suggest our most vulnerable road users may not be benefiting from the reprieve we have seen in serious automobile accidents during the three months Southwest Florida has hunkered down amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Our experienced injury lawyers in Cape Coral and Fort Myers highlighted the likely risk as COVID restrictions began in mid-March. Pedestrian Injuries a Spring Risk in Southwest Florida and Pandemic Scare has More People Cycling in Southwest Florida both highlighted the fact that our most vulnerable road users have always faced high risks, but the coronavirus pandemic may actually be increasing the dangers.

Certainly, that is holding true when it comes to cyclists. Media outlets nationwide are reporting a huge increase in demand for bicycles, with many locations reporting long wait lists for cycles under $2,000. The News-Press recently reported bicycle sales in Lee and Collier county are up more than 100 percent compared to the same period last year.

Pedestrian Injuries an Epidemic in Southwest Florida

February 4, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The tragic death of a woman walking her dog in South Fort Myers is a sobering reminder of the risks faced by pedestrians in Southwest Florida.

Kate Johnson of Fort Myers and her beloved dog, Diva, were walking when they were struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. WINK News reports loved ones have purchased a billboard and taken other steps to locate the at-fault driver. It was a light-colored Nissan that hit Johnson and her dog, and the driver left them to die along McGregor Boulevard at the intersection with Water Lane.