Pedestrian Accidents on the Rise Across Florida

A recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) confirms what Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney Joseph Lipsky unfortunately knows too well, that the number of pedestrian wrongful deaths increased by 19 percent from 2009 to 2014. Sadly, pedestrian deaths are now at their largest proportion as compared to all car accident fatalities over the past 25 years.

The study estimates that there is a 10% increase in the number of pedestrians wrongful deaths in 2015, in comparison to 2014. Pedestrian wrongful deaths have risen at a steady rate of thirteen percent annually since 2005. Incredibly, Florida is one of four states which account for over forty percent of all pedestrian vs motor vehicle deaths, the other states are California, Texas and New York.

The number of pedestrian fatalities continues to rise despite the ongoing efforts of states to use technological innovations, increased law enforcement and more pedestrian education. Of course, a decrease in cell phone use by pedestrians would certainly help decrease such deaths.

Not surprisingly, alcohol use, including drunk driving and intoxicated pedestrians not paying attention to their surroundings, continues to play a role in over half of pedestrian/motor vehicle wrongful deaths.

Of the most prevalent attempts to reduce pedestrian fatalities, some of the increasingly more frequently used methods include: pedestrian islands, roadway overpasses and increased usage of traffic signals. Miami Personal Injury Attorney Joseph Lipsky only hopes that our local governments have the foresight to begin implementing these life saving roadway changes sooner rather than later.