It can happen in a split second. You’re walking across the road and the next minute your life has changed forever. With over 9,000 pedestrian crashes in 2016 and 650 pedestrian fatalities, no wonder a recent study ranked Florida the highest for pedestrian accidents. What these numbers don’t show is the devastation left behind, the shattered family and debilitating injuries that can last a lifetime.
“The urban planning group that conducted the study, Smart Growth America, Florida is the most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians, with four Florida cities leading the nation in pedestrian deaths per capita. Orlando tops the list, thanks to its layout, road design and the culture of its drivers”, according to NPR.
“At 20 miles per hour, 1 in 10 pedestrians will likely be killed. When you go up to only 30, you have a 50-50 chance,” Billy Hattaway a district secretary with the Florida Department of Transportation says. “When you go to 40, about 85 percent of the pedestrians die who get hit at those speeds.”
The rise in pedestrian accidents in Orlando is due to the high number of tourists, an increase in 6 lane roads without medians, not enough of sidewalks, and lack of lighting, since many pedestrian accidents occur at night.
Recently a woman who accidentally dropped her cell phone out the window, stopped her vehicle and got out to look for it, was struck by a car. The driver of the vehicle didn’t stop and the woman died.
Another case involved a taxi driver stopping to help another driver broken down on the highway. As he was trying to find the problem the taxi driver was hit by a truck and killed.
‘Arrive Alive’ is a recently launched program by the Florida Highway Patrol, aiming to bring awareness and education of pedestrian accident hot spots and boost the presence of law enforcement in those areas.
To protect yourself and loved ones, it is important to seek legal advice from a local attorney after an accident. Exploring the evidence and details of your accident, will help determine who is at fault and maximize your recoveries.
As one of Orlando’s top personal injury attorneys, James P. Kelley is qualified and ready to handle your injury case. To reach the settlement or verdict you deserve, we dedicated to aggressively pursuing your case.