The Charlotte Metro Area is one of the top ten most dangerous for pedestrians, according to a new study by the National Complete Streets Coalition. Metro Orlando tops the list of most dangerous areas to walk, followed by the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Miami and Memphis regions. The Charlotte Metro area was tenth on the list.
While it’s not often that we think of taking a stroll as a dangerous activity, statistics show that more people are killed walking down the street than in natural disasters. In 2012, 15 percent of all traffic-related deaths were pedestrians. Between 2003 and 2012 47025 pedestrians were killed while walking, a number that is 16 times the number of fatalities caused by earthquakes, hurricanes and floods in the past decade.
Valerie and Ann are highly experienced in and vehemently passionate about personal injury law. If you or someone you know was struck while walking, please call us to discuss your needs, options and next steps forward.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has these tips for pedestrians:
- If there is no sidewalk, always walk facing the traffic. If there is a sidewalk, stay on it.
- Always cross at corners or in crosswalks.
- At an intersection, always look to make sure no one is coming even if you have the green light.
- Brightly colored clothing can make you more visible to drivers during night AND daytime.