You guessed it! One more tax payer funded study was performed and apparently shows that the Tampa Bay area is a dangerous place for pedestrians including walkers and bicyclists. As if we did not know? As if all the stories we hear on the news or read online and in the paper are fictional?
This study was performed by the “Transportation for America” which lists the Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater Florida area as the second most deadly place to be roadside in the United States. Now that is huge. So much for enjoying a nice quiet walk or cycling for a cure. Every time we step near the roadside we are taking our lives in our hands.
When a pedestrian is hit by a car or truck, the pedestrian rarely ever walks away without any injuries, and often suffers permanent fractures and expensive medical treatment and surgery.
The study revealed that Orlando was listed as the most dangerous place for pedestrians to be hit by a car or truck followed by the Tampa Bay area. And to complete the famous top four most dangerous places… wait for it… Jacksonville and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.
As you know, all of these cities are heavily populated with locals and tourists. The chances for something of this nature to happen is extremely high considering that our state’s climate is tropical the with the exception of brief winters. With this in mind, the number of months that we cycle and enjoy nature with a stroll or power walk is going to be higher than other states.
Nationwide, the number of pedestrians being killed by vehicles has increased steadily. The study shows that a pedestrian is hit by a car or truck every seven minutes. The report found numbers that led to over 47,700 deaths and 688,000 injuries between 2000 and 2009.
The majority of those deaths happened along “arterial” roadways, according to the research. These roads were designed for speeding traffic. These types of roads have few provisions for people on foot, in wheelchairs or on bicycles.
The report found the worst cities for pedestrians as follows:
Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida
Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano, Florida
Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario, California
Las Vegas/Paradise, Nevada
Memphis, Tennessee
Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Arizona
Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown, Texas
Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas
Herman & Wells, P.A.is a law firm which handles personal injury lawsuits for people who are injured St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, and the surrounding areas of Florida.