Mark Roman | January 24, 2013 | Bicycle Accidents
In previous posts, I’ve discussed the dangers facing bicyclists and pedestrians on Tampa Bay area roads. The figures are now in for 2012. Unfortunately, the picture remains grim.
There were 13 bicyclist deaths in Hillsborough County in 2012. That’s up from 2011, when there were nine, and 2010, when there were 11. Pasco County was also up, with five deaths. Pinellas tied its 2011 death number of 10.
Long-range data is even more depressing. A study by Transportation for America, a coalition working for transportation reform, published a study in 2011 ranking metropolitan areas for pedestrian safety. Rankings were based on a 10-year period from 2000 to 2009. The Orlando area was worst, and the Tampa area was second worst. Four of the five worst areas were in Florida, with Jacksonville and Miami ranking third and fourth respectively.
There is even a racial and demographic component to the TFA figures. African Americans and Hispanics walk more than other ethnic groups. Almost 20 percent of African American households don’t have cars; the same is true for 14 percent of Hispanic households. African Americans walk on trips 26 percent more than white people, and Hispanics walk about 45 percent more.
Not surprisingly, members of those minorities suffer far greater rates of per capita pedestrian injury and death. Hispanics suffered pedestrian death rates nearly 62-percent higher than whites. African Americans were even higher, at 73-percent above death rates for whites. The poor and elderly, groups who also walk more than the general U.S. population, also suffered substantially higher per-capita death rates.
Ironically, there seems to be an almost inverse relationship between pedestrian accidents and the number of pedestrians. Boston, where five percent of workers walk to work, was ranked the best metro area for pedestrians. In Orlando, the worst area, only 1.2-percent of workers walked to work.
I’ve commented on this seemingly counterintuitive phenomenon in prior posts. It seems that in places where there are many pedestrians, drivers learn to watch for them. In places where there are few, they do not. Thus, the data suggests that the solution for high rates of pedestrian injury and death is actually more pedestrians.
At a time when there is a national epidemic of obesity and related health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.), we need to encourage people to be more active, not less. Our entire country has some work to do on this, but Florida in particular has a long way to go.
Simply building more roads with more lanes and higher speed limits is not the answer. In fact, it has brought us to the sorry state of affairs we see now. Transportation funding should provide protected lanes for bikers and walkers, marked crosswalks, and other sensible protections. Otherwise, high injury and death rates are likely to continue. At the same time, healthy behavior that would do most Americans a lot of good will be discouraged.
Contact the Clearwater Bicycle Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a bicycle accident lawyer in Clearwater. We have five convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442