Thousands of people are injured in Florida each year due to accidents between vehicles and pedestrians. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), there were over 10,000 pedestrian-related crashes in Florida in 2022. And out of those accidents, 765 people died as a result of pedestrian-related crashes.
These types of collisions can be some of the most devastating accidents for pedestrians. Imagine that you’re walking around and then suddenly a car comes barreling right toward you at 50 miles per hour, and then BOOM! Pedestrian crashes can cause extremely severe injuries for innocent people who are just walking around and going about their daily lives.
For over 40 years, we’ve represented clients who were seriously injured in pedestrian accidents in Broward, Palm Beach, and all across Florida. During that time, we’ve learned a few things about how best to avoid these types of accidents. So, here are some simple tips on how to avoid being a victim of a pedestrian accident in Florida.
Walk on sidewalks
Obviously, your odds of being struck by a car while walking on a sidewalk as opposed to walking on a street are much lower. With that said, from time to time, drivers do veer onto sidewalks, so you need to be aware of approaching vehicles even when walking on sidewalks. You should try to walk on the sidewalk in a direction so that you can see oncoming cars in the street.
Use the crosswalks
Most people don’t think of jaywalking (crossing the street outside of a crosswalk or against a traffic signal) as a big deal. The truth is that all of us have jaywalked at least a few times in our lives. With that said, the problem with jaywalking is that it’s a lot more dangerous than you might imagine. Drivers expect that people are going to cross a street in a crosswalk or intersection, so they are usually a little more alert to people walking across the street in those areas. But when you jaywalk, drivers might not be anticipating that you’ll be crossing the street at that location. Drivers may not be paying as much attention to pedestrians attempting to cross the street outside of crosswalks and intersections, which can result in unnecessary pedestrian accidents.
Stay alert
Watch out for vehicles heading your way. Watch out for crazy drivers speeding around the road. If you are crossing the street, don’t just assume that drivers will automatically notice you in their path. Keep your head up, pay attention to your surroundings, and don’t text while crossing the street.
And watch out for reckless and drunk drivers, especially at night. If somebody near you is driving erratically, get as far away from them as soon as possible.
Don’t play music in your headphones too loud
This is one of those things that sounds a little silly. But there’s a good reason you don’t want to play music too loud in your headphones: you won’t be able to hear the sounds of vehicles in the area or even people shouting at you to watch out if a car is heading your way. So keep your music at a reasonable decibel.
Pay attention to traffic
Look, you don’t need us to tell you that a whole lot of drivers in our state, especially down here in South Florida, are just downright crazy. They zoom around local streets as if they were on a racetrack. When you are crossing the street, be careful and don’t think you can just run across the street and beat the traffic. Cars are often traveling a lot faster than you may be thinking. Wait for your signal and cross the street when the signal says WALK, and don’t cross when it says DON’T WALK. Also, watch out for cars turning corners. A car making a turn onto your street might not notice you in time to stop, so watch out.
Wear bright clothing at night
If you’re walking around at night, wear bright colors and reflective clothing that drivers will notice when their vehicle’s lights hit you.
Watch out in parking lots
You’d be surprised how many people are hit by cars in parking lots. Be mindful of cars backing up in parking lots. Drivers oftentimes don’t pay sufficient attention to what’s behind them when they are reversing, and pedestrian accidents very frequently occur as a result.
Call our office today for a free consultation if you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident anywhere in Florida
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian crash in Broward or Palm Beach, or anywhere else in Florida, call our office today at 954-833-1440 for a free consultation. For over 40 years, we have represented clients injured in pedestrian crashes all across Florida.