• 22
  • December
    2011

According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 4.2 percent more pedestrian fatalities in 2010 than in 2009. Even more alarming is the rise in pedestrian injuries: there were 19,000 pedestrians injured in the U.S. in 2010, a 19 percent jump since 2009.

2010 was the first year in the last four years that saw an increase in pedestrian-and-car accidents. In fact, pedestrian fatalities had decreased 14 percent between 2000 and 2009. As we have discussed in another post on Florida pedestrian accidents, Florida remains one of the deadliest state for pedestrians, with Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Jacksonville topping Transportation for America's list of most dangerous cities for pedestrians.

Researchers are puzzled by the numbers, offering only speculation on what may have caused the increase in pedestrian accidents. Some ideas include:

  • An increase in distracted driving / cell phone use while driving as well as an increase in the number of pedestrians talking or texting on their phones while walking on or near streets
  • An increase in the number of walkers and bikers and fewer people travelling by car
  • An increase in the number of wide highways that are not tailored to pedestrians
  • An increase in the number of low-income residents in suburbs, leading to more pedestrians on streets not constructed with pedestrians in mind
  • Pedestrian alcohol impairment or drunk driving

Whatever caused the increase in pedestrian accidents, we can only hope that the number of pedestrian accidents decreased in 2011 and that pedestrian safety is a priority in 2012 - in Florida and across the U.S.

Source: USA Today, "As U.S. Road Deaths Drop, More Pedestrians Getting Struck," Larry Copeland, Dec. 8, 2011.