As a pedestrian, you may think you are protected from the risk of an accident by not being in a car or the middle of the road. Unfortunately, a recently-released report shows that pedestrians face a very high risk of being involved in a collision, with some states being more dangerous than others.
Contact one of our Huntington Beach Personal Injury Attorneys at El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers if you have been injured in a pedestrian-car accident.
Pedestrians Car Accident Statistics
A report from the study by Smart Growth America, an advocacy organization, shows that over 47,000 pedestrians were killed and 676,000 others injured in car accidents between 2003 and 2012. According to the report, most roads in the United States are dangerous for pedestrians because they are not designed with them in mind.
The report also indicates that there are five cities where pedestrians face a severe risk caused by the lack of necessary safety precautions. This paints a terrifying picture for people who used roads every day.
Dangerous by Design
The report, which is called Dangerous by Design, spans from 2003 to 2012 and surveys traffic safety in the country. It uses a number called the PDI or Pedestrian Danger Index, representing the number of pedestrians in a state divided by pedestrian-car accidents per 100,000 residents.
Part of the study’s findings ranked the most dangerous states for pedestrians, starting from the most dangerous (please note that “PF” indicated “pedestrian fatalities” from 2008 to 2017). The top five most dangerous states for pedestrians included:
- Florida – PF 5,433, PDI 182.0
- Alabama – PF 841, PDI 145.0
- Delaware – PF 250, PDI 127.1
- Louisiana – PF 1,047, PDI 125.0
- Mississippi – PF 551, PDI 122.7
Florida: The Most Dangerous State
As you can see from the above statistics, the report recorded Florida as the most dangerous state because it has the highest rate of pedestrian-car accident deaths than other states. Orlando was also found to be the most dangerous metro area in the state.
The authors of the report explain that part of the reason southern states are dangerous for pedestrians is that their metro areas tend to have longer blocks and wider roads.
Other Pedestrian Accident Findings
The Dangerous by Design study also found that people in low-income communities, older adults, and people of color reported higher PDIs than other represented pedestrians. The PDI score for pedestrians over 75 years, for instance, was almost twice that of the general population.
When looking at race, Alaska natives and American Indians present a PDI of 33 and African Americans 18.3, markedly more than the national average of 14.8.
Lower-income communities also reported a PDI past the national average, which may be because they are less likely to have effective street designs.
Talk to a Huntington Beach Personal Injury Attorney
Which US state is the most dangerous for pedestrians? According to the Dangerous by Design report, Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians. That does not mean, however, that you are always safe on the road if you live in other states. Negligent drivers are everywhere.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian-car accident, the Huntington Beach Personal Injury Attorneys at El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers may be able to help you pursue compensation. Contact us at 888-540-0325 to schedule a consultation and discuss your legal rights.