Information from the Governors Highway Safety Association reveals 2019 to have been a particularly bad year for pedestrian deaths in the United States.
According to GHSA studies, pedestrian deaths were up five percent from 2018, with a total of 6,590 pedestrians killed across the country. This was the largest number overall since 1988, and the largest year-over-year increase since 1997. This comes despite the many Vision Zero programs that have been implemented in cities and communities across the country in the hopes of minimizing the numbers of pedestrian deaths.
Five states (California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia and Florida) accounted for 47 percent of pedestrian deaths despite accounting for only 33 percent of the population. New Mexico, Florida and Hawaii had the largest fatality rates per 100,000 people, with Wisconsin, Idaho and Vermont having the lowest.
On a local level
Florida has long been one of the most dangerous states in the nation for pedestrians. There are a variety of reasons for this. One is the year-long warm weather that allows pedestrians to be out and about at any time. Another is the number of tourists that flood the state, and the seasonal residents who flock to the state during the winter to escape the cold and snow of other regions of the country.
There are things local municipalities can do to help quell the incidence of pedestrian accidents, including adding more traffic controls and implementing safety ordinances, but the onus is also on drivers to make sure they are always focused on the road.
For more information about the steps to take if you or a loved one have been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Sarasota at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.