Latest Blogs

Florida law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians who are in crosswalks, and pedestrians to follow signals and yield to vehicles when required.

Pedestrian Statistics

An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study recently showed that when SUVs drove between 20 and 39 miles per hour and hit a pedestrian, 30 percent of the accidents resulted in tragic pedestrian deaths or severe injuries. If pedestrians are hit by cars going the same speed, 23 percent would tragically die. When speed increases to 40 miles per hour or more, all SUV/pedestrian accidents result in tragic deaths.

Changes to Make Crosswalks Safer

There are changes that Florida towns and cities may undertake to make crossing in crosswalks safer. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), “The presence of a crosswalk does not in and of itself render a street safe. Based on their surrounding context, speed, and overall roadway width, crosswalks often require additional safety measures such as safety islands, signals, or traffic calming.”

• Safety Islands – These islands are usually in the middle of crosswalks where pedestrians may stop and be protected before crossing wide or even narrow streets. Generally, they are at locations where speeds and traffic volume are higher. Some streets may have more than two lanes of traffic where safety islands can protect pedestrians. 

• Signals – The allocation of time provided by traffic signals is essential for traffic movement but also for the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation, according to the Urban Street Design Guide. 

• Traffic Calming – The Institute of Transportation Engineers defines traffic calming “as the combination of measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and improve conditions for non-motorized street users.” Traffic calming puts physical design and other measures in place on existing roads to reduce speed and improve pedestrians’ safety. These include speed bumps, speed tables, and raised intersections.

What Drivers Can Do to Prevent Hitting Pedestrians on Crosswalks?

All drivers are required to follow Florida’s laws regarding sharing the roads with pedestrians. These includes:

• Following speed limits
• Driving undistracted
• Driving unimpaired by alcohol and/or drugs
• Not driving while sleep-deprived

Injuries Suffered by Pedestrians on Crosswalks

Pedestrians have no protection against vehicles traveling on Florida’s roadways. When they get hit, they can suffer any number of serious injuries such as soft tissue damage, broken and fractured bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal injuries.

• Soft tissue damage can encompass contusions, lacerations, strains, sprains, tears, and dislocations. This type of injury can be very painful, leaving scars and even long-term problems. 

• Broken and fractured bones can occur in hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, legs, and backs. When bones puncture the skin, it is often painful, can cause long-term issues, and sometimes result in amputations. 

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are head and brain injuries, such as concussions, which can be life changing. The common symptoms of TBIs include headaches, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, dizziness, sleep problems, speaking difficulties, loss of coordination, sensitivity to light and/or sound, mood swings, depression, and anxiety. Spinal cord injuries are serious and can result in paralysis or even tragic death. They typically require long-term care.

Fort Myers Serious Injury Lawyer Assists Pedestrian Accident Victims

Fort Myers Serious Injury Lawyer Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., and his legal team assist pedestrian accident victims in obtaining the compensation to which they are entitled. Here is an example for one of the firm’s clients:

• A $2,000,000 settlement was obtained for a family for the wrongful death of their 78-year-old mother in a pedestrian accident caused by a tractor-trailer in Marianna, Florida.

Spivey Law represents people involved in numerous types of personal injury and wrongful death accidents throughout the state of Florida. All of the firm’s clients have unique personal injury cases. Spivey Law provides personal contact and communication along with aggressive representation.

"Should you or a loved one be injured in an accident, please contact us 24/7 at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or online at SpiveyLaw.com. There are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you.” said Attorney Spivey.