A recent Study conducted by 24/7 Wall Street has found that Florida ranked number two, only behind New Mexico, as the most dangerous state in which to walk the streets.
After analyzing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics from 2014, the last year in which all the numbers are available, it was found that Florida had 588 pedestrian traffic fatalities which gave it a fatality rate of 2.96 per 100,000 residents. This placed us squarely behind the study’s overall worst state of New Mexico, which had a fatality rate of 3.55.
Rounding out the top 10 most dangerous states for pedestrians were:
- Delaware
- Nevada
- Louisiana
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- Alabama
- Alaska
- New Jersey
In that order.
Contributing Factors
Not surprisingly one of the top contributing factors for this high rating was distracted driving. This despite recent regulatory changes made against texting and the use of mobile phones while behind the wheel.
Other major contributors were found to be a lack of adequate sidewalks in many urban areas where 76% of the studied accidents occurred, excessive speeding, the prevalence of impaired drivers on the roads during the high traffic, summer vacation months, and the high hit and run rates that have plagued the state for many years.
Many of these same factors were found to also contribute to the fact that Florida also had the dishonor of having the third highest traffic fatality rate, the same year, with a total of 2,494 deaths being reported on the state’s roads and highways.
Surprisingly, all this is in spite of the fact that overall, Florida has some of the safest roads in the nation.
These are some very bleak numbers. When you get down to the facts, though, the truth isn’t always nice and sadly all of these cold, hard numbers, in real life, equate to human lives that were brought to a premature end
Responsibility
When someone climbs behind the wheel of a car or truck they are taking upon themselves certain responsibilities that go along with the privilege of operating a motor vehicle. Among these is to operate that vehicle in a safe manner that in no way risks the lives of other or places them in danger.
When they fail to pay proper attention to their driving, drive impaired, speed or commit any other of a multitude of other infractions that place others in danger, they are failing the trust that has been placed in them, with the granting of a driver’s license.
When they do these things, people get hurt and sometimes lives are senselessly ended. That is when it is time for me to go to work.
As a personal injury attorney it is my responsibility to see that if you are injured or lose someone you love due to the negligence of others, it is them and not you who held to account for what happened.
I am not an officer of the law. I cannot hold people criminally accountable for their actions. What I can do, is to see that the financial burdens that arise from those actions are laid on their shoulders and not yours.
If you have lost someone close to you, been injured yourself or have questions regarding your rights of recovery under the state of Florida’s personal injury statutes, contact me today.