While walking is a way to improve one's health, save money on fuel costs and help the environment, Floridians should be cognizant of the inherent dangers to pedestrians in the state.
Catastrophic injuries and death can happen when a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle, and statistics indicate that nearly half of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. for pedestrians are in Florida. Sarasota and its surrounding areas are ranked fourth in the latest report. People who are walking regularly should be aware of this.
In the report, the Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) is used to calculate the risk for pedestrians. Many factors are assessed including population and how many people choose to walk to work. The PDI for Bradenton-Sarasota rose by the greatest percentage since the previous report three years ago.
Florida is has cemented itself as a state where pedestrians are of the highest likelihood to be hit and killed by a motor vehicle. From 2008 to 2017, there was a rise of nearly 36 percent in annual pedestrian fatalities across the nation. In that decade, there were 49,340 deaths. Florida alone had 5,433 such fatalities in that same time period.
Bradenton-Sarasota saw 194 pedestrian fatalities in that decade. That came to 2.58 deaths for every 100,000 people in the population. It is believed that the way the federal and state governments designed the roads for motor vehicles rather than pedestrians play a key role in the number of fatalities to pedestrians. Speed is also believed to be a factor contributing to injuries.
As for demographics, elderly, minority and poor people tend to be more vulnerable to pedestrian deaths. Also, the growing number of SUVs and pickup trucks on the road are a problem. These vehicles were found to have two to three times greater likelihood to kill a pedestrian than sedans.
People who are injured in a pedestrian accident will inevitably face medical expenses from the damage they have suffered. In many instances, the pedestrian crash results in catastrophic injuries. Those who have been injured or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident statistics may think about a legal filing for compensation.
