Pedestrian Accidents

Concerning Rise in Florida Car Accident Deaths

June 28, 2022 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky regrets to report that the number of car accident deaths across America rose the most since the 1940s. The increase over the past year was unexpected, as car accident deaths and injuries had been on a downward trend over the past fifty years – due to vehicle safety innovations, reduction in drunk driving crashes, and lower speed limits. Those changes are the reason why the rate of car accident deaths dropped to their lowest number, prior to the pandemic.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 43,000 people lost their lives in car and truck accidents last year, an increase of 10.5% over 2020, which itself had the highest death rate in fifteen years. In comparison, during 2019, car accident death rates rose nearly 20 percent, which was the highest rise since the mid-1940s. Trying to determine the reason for the dramatic increase is difficult, but researchers believe it is a deadly combination of faster reckless drivers using their phones while behind the wheel.

Not surprisingly, Florida is a top state for distraction-related automobile deaths, according to data from MoneyGeek.The Sunshine State had over 500 distracted driving deaths during the years 2019 to 2020. The only state with more distracted driving deaths during that time was Texas. In hopes of changing the path of deadly crashes in Florida, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and the Florida Highway Patrol started a campaign, during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, to teach Florida motorists about the importance of avoiding distracted driving. According to FLHSMV data, distracted driving crashes resulted in 333 fatalities in 2021 – the highest recorded in Florida in at least 8 years. On average, there were more than 1,000 distracted driving crashes every week across Florida last year.

Pedestrian Deaths from Car Accidents at All-Time High

May 30, 2021 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney Joseph Lipsky is concerned that over the past year, even with a significant reduction in vehicle traffic for most of the year due to Covid-19, that the number of pedestrian wrongful deaths across America rose by the largest increase in over fifty years.

A report published by the Governors Highway Safety Association for 2020 demonstrated the most significant increase in car accident related pedestrian death rate since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration established its Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The initial reporting unfortunately found nearly seven thousand pedestrians died during 2020. That number represents a 4.8% increase over the prior year’s deaths.

In fact, the numbers mean there was a twenty-one percent increase in the pedestrian death rate – based upon a rate of 2.2 per billion vehicle miles driven. That increase is particularly concerning as we Americans drover significantly fewer miles over the past year due to lockdowns and pandemic related business closures and work from home requirements of the past year. Those figures, which we must remember represents actual loss of life, occurred despite a 16.5% reduction in vehicle miles traveled nationwide. Last year’s rise continues the pattern of increasing danger for pedestrians – as pedestrians fatalities made up 17% of all traffic deaths in the prior year, a nearly fifty percent increase from the 13% amount of pedestrian deaths in 2010. Basically, pedestrian deaths rose by nearly fifty percent over the past decade, while all other car accident-related deaths increased by only 5%.

Pedestrian Deaths on the Rise Across South Florida

October 11, 2020 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky knows too well how dangerous our roadways have become and resulted in a steady rise in pedestrian accidents. Having helped seriously injured Floridians for nearly thirty years, he has investigated and pursued justice for hundreds of pedestrians and bike riders who have been involved in a car or truck accident throughout Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Keys and the Palm Beaches. Unfortunately, pedestrian crashes are on a worrying rise. In fact, the number of pedestrians killed across America have now hit a nearly 30-year high, up from nearly 50% of the past ten years.

Recently researches have begun to focus on the causes of this deadly rise, as they’ve come to realize that the majority of pedestrian wrongful deaths are not the result of bad luck, but rather due to poor planning by engineers and politicians who have routinely ignored needed safety studies before building new roadways. Additionally, the growing number of large SUVs on the road has contributed to the increase in deadly collisions.

Most drivers do not realize that due to the height of SUVs they are prone to strike pedestrians in their torso, the site of vital organs, rather than in their legs – which may result in fractures, but not death. Studies found that SUVs cause nearly 110 wrongful deaths per 1,000 pedestrian collisions versus 45 caused by cars.

Florida Car Accident Pedestrian Deaths Rise Again

March 2, 2020 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky is sorry to report that over the last year, pedestrian deaths increased to their greatest level in nearly 30 years, according to a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association. This increase in pedestrian wrongful deaths flies in the face of a nationwide drop in the number of car accident fatalities.

The report found that nearly 6,600 pedestrians died in car and truck accident related crashes over the past year, an uptick of almost five percent from 2018. As one can imagine, the Association is dismayed by the data, which represents thousands of affected families.

While the researchers have difficulty determining the precise reason for the deadly increase, they attribute the rise to driver conduct including the ever increasing use of cellphones and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol – a situation which will only continue to rise due to the growing trend of legalized marijuana use. In fact, driver intoxication played a role in about one-third of all car accidents resulting in a pedestrian fatality, with about sixteen percent of all drivers involved in pedestrian related crashes being legally drunk.

Deadly Bicycle Accidents on the Rise Across Ft. Lauderdale

November 8, 2019 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky knows too well the dangers bike riders face as they travel along our roadways either exercising or commuting. Sadly, recent government data suggest that the numbers of bike riders who died in car accidents rose nearly ten percent over the last decade. According to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, last year was the deadliest in over ten years for bike riders. That rise, coupled with the rise in pedestrian roadway deaths, represents a U-turn from prior years when the number of bike and pedestrian wrongful deaths was steadily dropping. The NHTSA is rightfully concerned that advances in vehicle safety have helped reduce the number of drivers and passengers who die in car and truck accident, there has not been enough technological changes to protect bicyclists and pedestrians.

While some car makers have begun to install automatic braking systems, which are designed to protect bike riders and pedestrians, the majority of manufacturers have not made such systems standard, instead only offering those as expensive options. As we’ve previously reported, due to the ever increasing problem of distracted driving and the rise in the number of large vehicles on the road, which are more deadly than cars, the need to protect those outside of vehicles has become a pressing need, particularly in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale where our weather encourages more outdoor activity, including walking and biking. Thankfully the vast number of car manufacturers have decided to get ahead of pending regulations and agreed to have emergency braking installed in all their vehicles by late 2022. Also, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is trying to motivate manufactures to speed up implementation of such equipment by letting manufacturers know that only vehicles with pedestrian detection and braking systems as standard equipment will be eligible for its Top Safety Pick rating. The IIHS believes autonomous braking will help motorists avoid nearly 30,000 car accidents and prevent over 10,000 injuries within the next 5 years.

In addition to automatic emergency braking, manufacturers are evaluating other pedestrian and cyclist safety measures, such as those being used in Europe, including using materials on bumpers which are less rigid, meaning they will cause less damage to a pedestrian. Other advances include the utilization of so-called artificial intelligence which will allow cars and trucks to react more quickly to unexpected dangers. AI is also being used to trigger faster responses from emergency personnel, including ambulances and fire rescue, which it is hoped will result in fewer serious car accident injuries.

Pedestrian Car Accidents on the Rise in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale

January 31, 2019 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Ft. Lauderdale car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky reminds everyone living in South Florida that contrary to popular opinion, walking along Florida’s roadways is more dangerous than you think. In fact, the likelihood of being struck by a car as a pedestrian, in what is referred to as a pedestrian accident, is higher in Florida than in anywhere else in America. Incredibly, nearly one-half of the deadliest cities for pedestrians are in Florida. According to a report from the National Complete Streets Coalition, the leaders are Orlando, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

When politicians and planning mapped out our state, their desire was for efficient and fast travel. Unfortunately, that quest for speed had the unwanted effect of making pedestrian safety an afterthought. Considering more than 4,000 pedestrians die each year in car accident, a rate of one wrongful death pedestrian car accident every two hours, it is no wonder that pedestrian wrongful deaths from car accidents have actually rise over the past few years, while car accident deaths have actually dropped about six percent in the same time period.

Florida had almost 5,500 pedestrian wrongful deaths in the past decade; a fatality rate of 2.73 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people, which equates to the study’s a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) of 182.0. The number of car accident versus pedestrian deaths in Florida is significantly higher than the national average of 1.55 per 100,000 and a PDI of 55. We are significantly higher than states with larger populations, including Texas, California and New York.

Advances Are Needed to Prevent Pedestrian Car Accidents

August 20, 2018 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Over the past few years, especially with the increasing use of cellphones to text, email and talk by drivers of moving cars, Ft. Lauderdale car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky has seen a drastic rise in the number of pedestrians who are struck by cars and seriously injured. This rise in pedestrian accidents throughout Florida, including Miami and Plantation, shows the immediate need for technological advances in vehicle systems which can save drivers from their own carelessness, and in turn save innocent pedestrians.

While nearly eighty percent of all vehicles sold in American over the past year have come equipped with some type of installed accident avoidance or notification systems, such as lane departure alarms and automatic braking on highway systems, that technology is really only designed to protect vehicle occupants from being injured in a car accident. Current systems are woefully inadequate at providing similar accident avoidance technology when it comes to pedestrians and bicycle riders. Thankfully, manufacturers are finally taking steps to equip cars and trucks with pedestrian accident avoidance systems too.

Although not yet in use in the United States, in Europe, where government regulation is more strict, certain manufacturers are already placing systems which can detect and brake for pedestrians and bike riders who a vehicle senses within 20 yards of a vehicle. The systems claim to be able to enact emergency car accident avoidance in less time than a human can blink his eyes.

Car Accidents Are Causing More Pedestrian Deaths

May 9, 2018 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Recently Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney Joseph Lipsky read a new study from the Institute for Highway Safety which revealed that the number of pedestrians hit and killed in car accidents across America grew to thirty-year high. Having helped the families of too many Floridians who’ve lost loved ones in car accident, the study’s findings sadly come as no surprise.

The IIHS studied car accidents which resulted in wrongful deaths of pedestrians so try to ascertain the reasons behind the shocking annual increase. The study confirmed that nearly six thousand pedestrians were killed in car accident in 2016, which was the largest number of pedestrian traffic deaths in thirty years. Incredibly the nearly fifty percent increase in pedestrian traffic deaths is significantly greater than the number of all traffic wrongful deaths over the same period, when that number rose eleven percent.

A predominant factor in the majority of pedestrian traffic deaths is the time of day pedestrians are likely to be hit by a vehicle. The greatest number of car accidents resulting in a pedestrian’s death happened during the evening, when 4,500 pedestrians died during the time period from 2009 through 2016, this was an increase of more than fifty percent. The number of pedestrian deaths during daytime hours was more than two-thirds less, at 1,300.00. With many of the traffic deaths occurring in residential neighborhoods with fewer designated crosswalks, the Institute found that higher speed limits in many municipalities results to more fatalities when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian.

Florida Has Some of the Most Dangerous Roads for Pedestrians

March 18, 2018 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Here we go again, another “honor” for the State of Florida. According to a recent study, titled Dangerous By Design, seven of the top most deadly cities in America for pedestrians car accidents are in, you guessed it, Florida. As a Florida personal injury attorney for more than 25 years, Joseph Lipsky, knows too well, having helped dozens of pedestrians seriously injured in accident involving cars or truck, of the dangers pedestrians face when walking along or nearly Florida’s roadways.

The Dangerous by Design study came up with their so-called Pedestrian Danger Index, which is an analytical evaluation of the number of pedestrians who walk to work, and compared it to the number of car accidents in which pedestrians were seriously injured or killed. Nearly 5000 pedestrians were killed in car accidents or truck accidents over the past year, an alarming nationwide rate of 13 wrongful death victims every day. On average, a pedestrian is killed every two hours and injured every seven minutes in a traffic crash. Fourteen percent of all traffic fatalities and an estimated 3 percent of those injured in traffic crashes were pedestrians. To say that the ongoing rise in pedestrian deaths is an epidemic is clearly an understatement. Also of great concern is the fact that although minorities make up only about 1/3^rd of the population, nearly 50% of all pedestrian deaths involve a minority. And as expected, the study confirms that those pedestrians 65 and older are fifty percent more likely to be killed by a car or truck.

While much of the blame for pedestrian wrongful deaths is squarely upon the shoulders of the drivers who hit them, the study found that engineers who are responsible for designing streets and sidewalks are also to blame, as they failed to take adequate preventative safety measures to protect pedestrians. Some of the features roadway designers routinely overlook include, wider medians, which allow pedestrians to safely avoid traffic, if they get stuck in the middle of a roadway; more marked crosswalks; and lowering roadway traffic speeds in areas know to have significant pedestrian traffic.

Bad Roads Often Lead to Pedestrian Deaths in Florida Car Accidents

April 19, 2017 | by Joseph I. Lipsky

Florida wins again, but again this definitely not good news to pedestrians. According to a recent study, Florida has the honor of having the greatest rate of pedestrian wrongful deaths from car accidents in America. Incredibly, pedestrians in Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Parkland are four times more likely to die in a car accident than in places like Boston or even New York. And while the study blames pedestrians for being distracted by their phones, being intoxicated and crossing outside of marked crosswalks, more attention is being placed upon the roadways themselves.

Florida’s older roadways, which were not designed for active populations, often times play an integral role in pedestrian accidents. Specifically, pedestrian friendly sidewalks and crosswalks are lacking along many roadways which are shared with cars driving at what used to be considered as highway speeds. Pedestrians seeking to cross roadways usually have to walk great distances to access a crosswalk, often 1000 feet away. While common sense should cause pedestrians to use those crosswalks, most people cross where they are, rather than walking 1000 feet out of their way.

Those of us who live in more westerly cities, which were originally built decades ago when most of the land was agricultural, know that many roads were built without any adjoining sidewalks. Now as the population has shifted towards the suburbs, many residents now confront dangerous roadway conditions on a daily basis. The Florida Department of Transportation has begun to address our outdated roadways but taking efforts to reduce driver speeds, such as by making narrower vehicle lanes and placing trees closer to the roadways.