Most Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents occur in many parts of Florida, including the most popular tourist destinations. Because of the large number of tourists who travel to Florida each year, many pedestrian accidents occur in these areas. However, accidents do happen in neighborhood streets and school zones. 

Here are some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents in Florida. To prevent a pedestrian accident, follow these causes and tips.

Distracted Driving

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable group in car accidents. Almost 70 percent of fatalities and nearly a thousand incapacitating injuries occur due to distraction. Drivers should take heed of laws designed to protect pedestrians from being hit. In Florida, drivers are legally required to yield to pedestrians and not pass them. 

Drivers should also remain alert at all times to prevent any distractions from making them feel unsafe and unprotected.

Whether or not a distracted driver was at fault for an accident is essential, but it is important to note that negligence does not excuse any of these activities. 

• Distracted drivers have a legal obligation to maintain proper concentration while operating a car, including pedestrians. 
• While they may think that they are driving safely, they may be paying too much attention to a cell phone or adjusting the radio station.
• Drivers are not only distracted while behind the wheel. Even those who drive without cell phones or hands-free capability are susceptible to distractions. 
• A brief momentary distraction can result in an accident. Other distracting activities include reading a map, looking in the back seat, or chatting with a passenger. 
• Even changing the radio station or tuning the GPS can divert the driver’s attention away from the road.

Speeding

• While pedestrians make up 1% of all traffic collisions, they account for 22% of all fatalities. If a car hits a pedestrian traveling 30 miles per hour, they have a 45% chance of dying. If the vehicle speeds up to 40 mph, they have an 85% chance of killing the pedestrian. In Florida, survivors of pedestrians who die in traffic accidents can file a wrongful death lawsuit.

• Despite Florida’s pleasant climate, many drivers fail to observe traffic and right-of-way laws. Florida statutes clearly state who must yield the right-of-way. Drivers must obey these laws to avoid accidents. Injuries and fatalities caused by traffic accidents can last for a lifetime. Moreover, surviving victims must undergo a long rehabilitation period after an accident.

• The third leading cause of pedestrian accidents is speeding. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling 17mph has a 10% chance of being seriously injured. However, when a car travels at 48 mph or more, the possibility of being killed is 90%. Sadly, this statistic is not uncommon, with one Tampa woman, Lillia Raubenolt, crossing Bayshore Boulevard with her baby, who was struck by a racing car. There are countless other tragic stories involving speeding drivers.

Alcohol

According to statistics published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol is a significant contributor to fatal pedestrian crashes. Studies show that drivers and pedestrians who consume alcohol are more likely to be involved in a collision. These statistics are particularly alarming because nearly half of the crashes involve pedestrians and vehicles. 

The NHTSA has announced a $2 million grant program to address these problems, and other Florida cities are encouraged to apply.

• The state’s infrastructure is one of the most significant contributing factors to the high pedestrian accident rate. 
• Many cities are designed with cars in mind, and pedestrians must cross extra lanes of roadways and roads that lack crosswalks. 
• Other high-risk locations for pedestrian accidents include school zones and tourist areas. 
• Additionally, pedestrian accidents can result from drug or alcohol use. Alcohol and drugs are both dangerous factors and are considered significant causes of pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
• Impaired driving is another major contributor. Intoxicated drivers have poor judgment and may not see pedestrians and crash into them. 
• Other distractions that can lead to a pedestrian accident are using cell phones, eating, or talking to passengers in the car. 
• Pedestrian accidents can be a direct result of distracted drivers. A distracted driver may not stop at a red light or yield to a pedestrian.

Lower-Income Neighborhoods

Across the country, Florida is the deadliest state for pedestrians. Unfortunately, the poorest neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable to accidents. Those living in low-income communities are less likely to own cars, making them especially vulnerable to crashes. 

A recent study by Transportation Alternatives revealed a cluster of child pedestrian deaths near public housing. Fortunately, more research is needed to understand the causes of these deaths and develop strategies to improve pedestrian safety in lower-income communities.

While numerous factors increase the risk of pedestrian crashes, one of the most prominent is the presence of heavily traveled arterial roads. 

These streets have high traffic volume and speed and are notoriously dangerous for pedestrians. Nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities occur on arterial roads, where cars are more likely to speed and avoid pedestrians. The study found that lower-income neighborhoods have double the number of significant thoroughfares as wealthier neighborhoods and suffer from twice as many pedestrian fatalities.

In the final models, the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic position and the number of people injured at intersections remained statistically significant. This association may be due to the inclusion of comprehensive environmental variables. Lower-income neighborhoods have higher rates of pedestrian injuries than higher-income areas. 

In addition, low-income neighborhoods have a higher number of four-way intersections than more affluent neighborhoods, and four-way crossings are notorious for pedestrian injuries.

Poor Decisions By Drivers

Pedestrians are vulnerable to car-car collisions because Florida’s climate permits outdoor activities year-round. Also, Florida has the third-largest population in the country, more than 20 million people – more than New York City! This means there are plenty of pedestrians and vehicles on the roads, and distracted drivers are more likely to cause accidents. In Florida, these factors are often the culprits in pedestrian accidents.

• Lack of courtesy and inexperience among drivers are some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents. 
• Drivers often fail to give pedestrians the proper courtesy, yielding to their right of way and failing to stop for pedestrians. 
• Some drivers also fail to heed traffic signs and lights and do not stop when they see one. They often do not observe traffic rules and regulations, resulting in pedestrian accidents.
• Many pedestrian accidents occur between 6 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The number of accidents between pedestrians and motor vehicles increases between those hours.
• Pedestrian accidents are more common on weekends, and the number of fatalities increases between these hours. 
• In Florida, drivers should not ignore pedestrians’ right of way. This is a fundamental principle of the road system, so drivers should follow traffic laws and regulations to avoid accidents.

Parking Lots

While reckless drivers cause most parking lot accidents, the right of way can be confusing. Florida law requires drivers to stop at stop signs, so they must always do so. Even then, not all drivers follow the rules. 

Sometimes, a moving car fails to stop at a stop sign and rear-ends a stopped vehicle, so the moving car is often to blame. In any of these instances, determining who is at fault will be essential.

• Children are particularly vulnerable when they walk ahead of and behind an adult.
• The lack of visibility is difficult to detect by drivers, so they must always exercise extreme caution while parking. 
• In particular, children must be watched closely when exiting a school bus because they assume cars will stop to let them out. 
• Drivers need to be patient, but this is easier said than done. Drivers need to exercise extra caution when backing up and should take care to give pedestrians plenty of time to move out of the way.
• While it may not be the most severe cause of pedestrian accidents, parking lots can be hazardous for pedestrians. 
• Children and the elderly, who may be less aware of their surroundings, can be hit by cars and injured. 
• Pedestrians often assume that a driver sees them without eye contact. And since most parking lot accidents happen in parking lots, the driver is unlikely to see them.

Poor infrastructure

Various factors contribute to the high rate of pedestrian accidents in Florida. However, poor infrastructure is a leading cause of many of these accidents. 

In fact, according to a report, 9 of the 15 most dangerous U.S. pedestrian cities are located in Florida, with the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area ranking as the 11th worst. Between 2010 and 2019, approximately 17 pedestrians were killed every day in the U.S., and the number of pedestrian deaths increased by 45 percent.

• Pedestrian deaths are measured per capita and are often more prevalent in large metropolitan areas. 
• Florida ranks third in the nation for pedestrian deaths, behind only Los Angeles and New York, and leads the nation in total pedestrian deaths. 
• Poor pedestrian infrastructure can dramatically reduce the number of pedestrian deaths. However, the cause of these fatalities is not yet known in many cases.

In addition to poor infrastructure, socioeconomic status is a common cause. Low-income neighborhoods are disproportionately represented in pedestrian deaths. These are not equipped with adequate sidewalks and lighting, which makes them vulnerable to collisions. And even if pedestrian fatalities are reduced, the rate is still significantly higher in low-income neighborhoods. And this difference persists in areas considered relatively safe by OECD standards. 

In Conclusion

If you or a loved one was injured in a pedestrian accident, you might be eligible to recover financial compensation. You should not have to bear the consequences of someone else’s negligence and may be entitled to compensation. You should contact an attorney to discuss your case. You may be entitled to compensation, and Ovadia Law Group can help you make that happen. We will fight for your rights.

Pedestrian accidents are among the most dangerous in our nation. In the past decade, more than 5,000 people have died from motor vehicle accidents in Florida, Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Myers, and Orlando. This is particularly true for pedestrians over the age of 65. Poor road engineering, reckless driving, and inattentive motorists contribute to this statistic. You deserve compensation for the pain and suffering you have endured. Contact Ovadia Law Group today at 1-800-674-9396 to get started on your case.