Pedestrian Accidents in Fort Lauderdale and Elsewhere in the State Rank Florida as #1 Most Dangerous

From 2000 to 2009, there were nearly 48,000 pedestrians killed along roadways in the United States, according to Transportation For America. What’s important to point out in this article is that the top 4 most dangerous metropolitan areas in the country are in Florida, with Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach ranking in as the 4th deadliest area in the nation for pedestrian accidents.

In addition to these fatalities, our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that there were nearly 689,000 pedestrians across the country who were injured during this same time period. This means that a pedestrian was hit by a truck or a car every 7 minutes. Pedestrian accidents are the third leading cause of death by unintentional injury for those of any age group.

With 12 percent of traffic-related fatalities resulting from pedestrian accidents, a recent Transportation For American report concluded that less than 2 percent of the federal funding that is designated for upgrading dangerous roads is even being used. With pedestrian accidents as the cause of so many U.S. fatalities, it’s shocking that more money isn’t allotted to make our roadways safer for all travelers.
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“Some in Congress have questioned the federal interest in keeping pedestrians safe, believing it to be a strictly local issue,” said the director of Transportation for America, James Corless. “But two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities in the last 10 years occurred on federal-aid roadways.”

The Top Most Dangerous Metro Areas:

1.) Kissimmee/Orlando
2.) Clearwater/St. Petersburg/Tampa
3.) Jacksonville
4.) Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach
Many of the pedestrian fatalities happen on roadways with speedy traffic. Most of these dangerous areas fail to provide crosswalks, sidewalks or crossing signals for pedestrians. A majority of the fast-travel roadways were built with federal funding, but with speedy traffic in mind and not pedestrian traffic.

In the state of Florida, there were more than 5,160 pedestrians killed on our roadways from 2000 to 2009. These accidents cost the state more than $22.2 billion during this time. According to Transportation For American, Florida is the number one deadliest state in the country for pedestrian accidents.

The Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach metro area saw the most pedestrian fatalities in the state from 2000 to 2009, with nearly 1,600 pedestrian deaths. Broward witnessed more than 460 of these fatalities during this time.

To help reduce the risks of pedestrian accidents across the country, Transportation For American has compiled a list of recommendations for government officials to make safer streets for everyone.

Suggestions for Safer Roadways:

-Retain federal funding that is solely dedicated to pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

-Equip all busy travel areas with bicycle paths, sidewalks and trails so that residents and visitors can travel about the area safely.

-All government, including local, state and federal parties, should be required to set safe travel standards for bicyclists, pedestrians, motorists and motorcyclists.

-Each state should be held accountable to creating communities that are safe for pedestrians.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident in Broward County or in any of the surrounding areas, contact the Injury Attorneys at The Ansara Law Firm to set up a confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Experienced and tough representation can help you to fight for the compensation you deserve after such a devastating accident. Call (954) 761-4011.

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