Local Accident Attorney Explains Possible Reasons for Yet another Pedestrian Death in the Area

A Levy County man died on January 31 after stepping into oncoming traffic on U.S. 41 about a mile north of the Marion County border.  The pedestrian was struck by a 2007 Pontiac G6.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the man was walking northbound on U.S. 41 at approximately 10:00 p.m.  The Pontiac was also traveling northbound on the same road.  Suddenly, the car immediately in front of the Pontiac swerved to the left to avoid hitting the pedestrian.  The Pontiac also swerved to the left but by this time the pedestrian was near the center of the northbound lane when the right front of the Pontiac hit him.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.  Charges against the Pontiac driver are pending.  It is unknown whether the driver of the car who avoided the pedestrian has been identified.

As a Gainesville and Ocala accident attorney, I know that pedestrian fatalities are nothing new to the state of Florida.  Here are some chilling statistics:
1) 11% of all pedestrian fatalities in the country occur in Florida.  Out of the top 10 U.S. cities listed as the most dangerous for pedestrians, four are located in Florida: Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami.
2) Since 2001, Florida has been one of the top three states for pedestrian fatalities every year.  Last year, Florida ranked second behind California.

There are three primary contributing causes for these alarming statistics.

Population Growth:  Florida’s population has drastically increased from 2.8 million in 1950 to 20 million today.  In fact, Florida has developed faster than any other state in the nation according to the Center for Education and Research in Safety.  To accommodate this growth, Florida created larger roadways with more lanes to allow for more care to travel efficiently within the state.  These multi-lane roadways, however, are dangerous to pedestrians due to increased road traffic, cars traveling at a higher rate of speed on these open roads, and the pedestrian’s difficulty in negotiating the crossing of a road.

Tourism:  Over 80 million tourists visited Florida last year.  Tourists walk much of the time when they visit.  While walking, visitors are often distracted by the tourist sights and are not paying attention their surroundings, such as road traffic.  When tourists do drive, they are unfamiliar with the area and its roadways, making them more prone to be involved in an auto accident.

Climate:  Because the weather in Florida is balmy year-round, people tend to spend more time outside and more time walking.  After all, it is much easier to walk to the corner store when the temperature is 70 degrees as opposed to 35 degrees.

For more information on this important topic, please see:

Ocala Accident Attorney Urges Florida Roadways be Constructed with Pedestrian Safety in Mind.

What Every Walker in Florida should know to be Safe and Legal

Why Ocala Accident Attorney Urges Widening of Shoulders For Pedestrian Roadway Safety