With overwhelming “Yield to Pedestrians” laws in every state, you might assume that pedestrian accidents are uncommon. Unfortunately, pedestrian deaths due to motor vehicle accidents happen too frequently. Estimates indicate that over 7,000 pedestrian deaths occurred in 2021.
A recent study evaluated pedestrian deaths in each state to rank the most dangerous states for pedestrians.
Overall state ranking
Florida ranked as the second deadliest state in the country for pedestrian deaths based on data from 2016 to 2020. Statistics showed a total of 3,420 pedestrian deaths in Florida from 2016 to 2020. This is an average of 3.22 per 1,000 people.
Most dangerous areas
The same study assessed metropolitan areas and ranked them based on safety data. Of the top 20 most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrian deaths, nearly half of them were in Florida. Some of the most dangerous areas in Florida include:
- Daytona Beach
- Tampa
- Jacksonville
- Orlando
- Miami
Melbourne and Sarasota help to round out Florida’s metro areas in the top 20. Florida’s Daytona Beach area takes the top spot for the most dangerous metropolitan area in the study despite the state’s overall second-place finish.
Motor vehicle accidents with pedestrians are high-risk incidents. Pedestrians are more likely to die when struck by a car because of the force of impact. Not only should drivers be more vigilant when behind the wheel, but pedestrians should be alert to their surroundings at all times. Especially in Florida’s metropolitan areas, pedestrian traffic is at higher risk than you might have thought.