Who doesn’t love a good walk? With our Florida weather, we can go outside to enjoy the warm weather for most of the year. Outside of our unpredictable rain, we live in a perfect place for walking in our communities. Or so it seems.
A recent study calls into question that belief when it comes to walking around your Central Florida community.
Central Florida: Most Dangerous Place for Walking?
Smart Growth America is a nonprofit dedicated to making communities work for everyone who lives in them. Part of that goal centers around making communities safer and examining the causes behind unsafe areas. By looking at this data, we can hopefully take it and make meaningful changes with it.
Recently, they released a study that took a look at the most dangerous areas to walk. The results don’t look good for the Sunshine State.
- The top 6 most dangerous metro areas were all in the state of Florida
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford was the most dangerous metro area in the country
- Lakeland-Winter Haven was the fifth most dangerous area in the country
This is shocking to hear, especially since our firm was started in the Winter Haven area. From 2008-2017, there were 656 pedestrians killed in the Orlando area and 162 killed in the Lakeland-Winter Haven area. The state of Florida is ranked as the most dangerous state in the country by this study.
Tragic Pedestrian Death Statistics
Some of the numbers covered in this study are incredibly surprising to me. While our firm has dealt with far too many pedestrian accident cases over the years, I didn’t realize the problem was as pervasive as the study shows. According to Smart Growth America:
- Drivers killed 49,340 pedestrians in the US between 2008 and 2017
- That’s over 13 people every day or more than one person every 2 hours
- The number of pedestrians killed by drivers has increased 35% in the last decade
These numbers are out of control. This is a theme we’ve run into on our blogs far too many times in the recent past. We live in a society that is safer than ever. Our cars are now equipped with so many safety features, we should be seeing a dramatic drop in these numbers across the board. Instead, we’re seeing them continue to rise.
Whether they are pedestrian deaths, drivers running red lights or deadly truck accidents, the numbers are continuing to tick upward. It may sound like a broken record at this point, but something has to be done. Our lives depend on it.
Contact Brooks Law Group
Have you been injured by a reckless driver? Don’t let the negligence of others cost you, contact a law firm that cares about its clients. We’ve been fighting for our clients involved in pedestrian accidents for more than 25 years. You need a team of experienced, considerate attorneys that will put you first every step of the way. You need the team at Brooks Law Group!
Call our offices today at 1-800-LAW-3030 or fill out our online ‘Contact Us’ form to get your free, no obligation case evaluation. If we don’t win your case, you won’t owe us anything. Start your process now!
