Many families enjoy a stroll through the city street during the holidays, but the safety of these walks differs depending on the county you are in.
Pinellas County has been named the most dangerous county for walkers, according to a new report, with 3.1% of all car crashes involving pedestrians.
The ranking, created by personal injury attorneys Injured In Florida, analyzed data from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles between 2019 and 2021 to determine which county sees the highest incidence of pedestrian road collisions.
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Across Florida, 27,422 pedestrians were involved in motor vehicle collisions from 2019 – 2021. A total of 22 counties reported higher rates than the state average of 409 crashes involving pedestrians, with some areas proving more dangerous than others.
Pinellas ranks first as the most dangerous county for Floridian walkers, with a total of 47,855 motor vehicle crashes, with 1,509 of these involving pedestrians.
Ranking second is Volusia, with 3% of crashes involving walkers, and third is Leon, with 2.8%.
Highlands (2.6%), Alachua (2.6%), Collier (2.6%), Polk (2.6%), Brevard (2.6%), Sarasota (2.5%), and Broward (2.5%) are also in the top ten counties in Florida with a high number of motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians.
On the other end of the scale, Holmes, Baker, Gilchrist, Calhoun, Wakulla, and Gulf have all had less than 1% of similar accidents in the years analyzed.
As well as looking at the county with the most motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians, the data also looked at which county sees the highest number of fatalities.
While Pinellas ranked top for reporting the highest proportion of road accidents involving pedestrians, the county also ranks first with the most pedestrian fatalities with more than a third – 35.5%, which is 132% higher than the state average.
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Following in second is Lafayette with 33.3%. While Orange County ranks third with a total of 173 pedestrian fatalities (30.7%).
Meanwhile, Franklin is one of the safest counties with just 0.38% of crashes involving a pedestrian, along with Franklin, Liberty, Jefferson, Union, Gulf, Gilchrist, Baker, and Holmes, which have all had zero fatalities in the years documented.
Speaking on the findings, a spokesperson at Injured in Florida said: “Pedestrians should be vigilant when walking near roads because maintaining awareness enhances personal safety. This data can help individuals in Pinellas and Volusia to anticipate and respond to potential hazards, such as oncoming vehicles, changing traffic signals, and unexpected obstacles.
“By staying alert, pedestrians can make informed decisions, navigate traffic safely, and reduce the risk of accidents or collisions while on foot.”
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