In most cases on pedestrian safety in Florida, walking is highly encouraged for your physical and mental health. However, when walking in Florida, it’s recommended to tread with complete caution or even not at all. As of 2019, Florida still ranks as having the highest death rate of pedestrians. Over one decade, there were 5,433 pedestrian deaths.
One of the greatest parts about living in Florida is all of the warm weather and sunshine. With that, it’s understandable if you’d like to take advantage of an outdoor stroll around your local city or neighborhood. This is why we’ve put together tips for pedestrian safety in Florida, so you can resume your normal everyday life with the necessary knowledge to move around pedestrian safety in Florida.
A few basic tips for Florida’s Pedestrians
- Look both ways before crossing a street – Anytime you are crossing a street, look both left and right. This includes times when you are moving across a crosswalk and all traffic signals give you the go-ahead.
- Don’t run through traffic – It’s truly more in your benefit to take your time crossing a street than running through the traffic – especially if you live in Florida.
- Don’t walk at night – The odds for safety are against you when you are walking around at night with no bright colors or lights. If you decide to walk around at dark, be sure to wear the appropriate garments that will alert drivers that you are there.
- Don’t use technology while walking – Wearing headphones cancel out noise – noise that could potentially alert you that a driver is near and a collision may happen. It’s important to remove headphones while walking and also put down the phone to ensure you are aware of your surroundings.
- Inform yourself of Florida’s Pedestrian Laws – An accident can happen at any time, whether you take precautionary measures or not. It’s important to stay informed of Florida’s pedestrian laws for right-of-way and crosswalks.
A bonus tip: Florida pedestrian law reflects that pedestrians have the right-of-way at crosswalks.
Safety tips when walking on the sidewalk
Though you may not be crossing a street, an accident can still occur when you are walking on the sidewalk, especially if you are unaware of your surroundings.
Below, we’ve listed a few safety tips when walking on the sidewalk:
- Always walk on the shoulder
- Always walk facing traffic
- Walk in a straight path while being vigilant of your surroundings
Safety tips for crosswalks
The best time to inform your self of crosswalks tips is now. Check out our recommendations below:
- Follow the pedestrian signs – It may be intuitive to follow traffic lights when crossing a crosswalk, but it’s important to always follow pedestrian signs first.
- Don’t enter a crosswalk after the pedestrian light turns yellow or begins flashing – Walking after the pedestrian light turns yellow or begins flashing leaves you with a limited amount of time to cross the street, ultimately putting you in danger of being hit by an oncoming car.
- Make eye contact with drivers when crossing the street – This will alert the driver of your presence, so they’re aware that a pedestrian is crossing.
Have you been injured in a Pedestrian Accident?
Attorney Dan Zohar has handled successfully handled numerous Pedestrian Accident cases in Florida. If you have been involved in a Pedestrian Accident, it’s time to get the compensation you deserve. Don’t waste time. Give us a call: (800) 963-3311.