Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accidents

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 The Florida Department of Transportation has begun to address our outdated roadways but taking efforts to reduce driver speeds, such as by making narrower vehicle lanes and placing trees closer to the roadways.

In addition to the well-known dangers associated with distracted driving, Miami car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky wants to pedestrians to be aware of an ever increasing problem; how pedestrians who are distracted while walking, especially along Miami’s busy roadways, are finding themselves in increasingly dangerous positions. Using a cell phone while crossing U.S. 1 or Flagler Street while texting is a distraction which can cause pedestrians to walk right into the path of a vehicle and become serious injured in a car accident.

Our roads in Miami and Fort Lauderdale continually make the dubious list of the American’s most dangerous roads for pedestrians. A recent report listed the Palm Beach, Broward, Miami tri-county area as our country’s 4th most dangerous area for pedestrians accidents, with nearly three times the national average for car accidents with pedestrians.

The report also showed that with similar pedestrian dangers in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, that Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians. Not surprisingly, elderly and young children are involved in the majority of pedestrian car accidents. And of that group, the elderly are the victims of more wrongful deaths due primarily to their fragility. Despite these know findings, Miami’s own public works department found that through Miami Dade County, higher curbs, mis-leved sidewalks and the lack of crosswalks are a prevalent problem for our ever increasing elderly population.

While most people know that New Year’s Eve is exceptionally dangerous for those on the road, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Joseph Lipsky wants to make sure his fellow Floridians are aware that being a drunk pedestrian is actually 8xs more dangerous than being a drunk driver.

Sadly, a review of past years wrongful deaths demonstrates that a pedestrian is almost twice as likely to die while walking on New Year’s Day compared to an ordinary non-holiday day. Most of the drunk pedestrian accidents happen when someone attempts to cross an intersection against a stop light, or when they unknowingly jay-walk.

As South Floridians venture out on foot during this holiday season, thinking it is safer than driving, it is important to remember that while wearing basic black looks cool, brighter colored clothes may actually help prevent you from being the victim of a crash. Other common sense suggestions including, walking in a group rather than alone. Of course, taking a cab or using the services of a private riding sharing company can help keep you out of harm’s way.

Florida personal injury attorney Joseph Lipsky reminds everyone that while today is Halloween, a time when our children are excited to show off their newest creative costumes, that safety should be on everyone’s mind tonight. According to the AAA, this evening between 6 and 7 p.m. is the most likely time for car accidents involving pedestrians. As the sun begins to set, drivers need to be particularly attentive to their surroundings. And, parents need to remind their children to look both ways before crossing the street.

Remember, even a slight increase in a car’s speed can have deadly results. In fact, a car going thirty miles per hour is twice as likely to cause a deadly accident as a vehicle traveling 5 M.P.H. slower. And under any circumstances, a brief moment of taking your eyes off the road, acting like a distracted driver to read a text or look at a home’s decorations, can result in a deadly car accident. Considering many costumes are dark colored, drivers need to be particularly attentive in watching out for young trick or treaters.

As for our children, parents should give all kids some sort of light, even a glow stick, to carry as a way of making themselves seen to approaching traffic. Some basic common sense safety precautions and extra attention by drivers can make sure Halloween remains a fun and safe day.

As a personal injury attorney helping injured car accident victims in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Attorney Joseph Lipsky knows too well that Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are extremely dangerous for pedestrians. In fact, according to a recent study by Dangerous by Design, our community is the 4th most dangerous location for pedestrians in the United States. The statistics reveal that pedestrians are 300 times more likely to be injured by a car in South Florida as compared to other areas across the United States.

And, while the officials at FDOT acknowledge the severity of this issue, they have yet to implement any roadway design changes which will make it safe for pedestrians. Sadly, over 47,000 pedestrians were the victims of wrongful death due to being struck by a car over the past decade. And throughout Miami and Fort Lauderdale, there were over 1,500 pedestrian versus vehicle deaths over the same time period.

The study developed a calculation they refer to as the danger index, which compares the probability of a pedestrian being struck by a motor vehicle, as determined by state records, against the number of respondents. While South Florida’s numbers are partially skewed due to our elderly population, given their delayed reaction skills, the prevalence of high speed roads in known pedestrian areas do not help prevent deadly car accidents.