Articles Posted in Pedestrians/Bicyclists

A recent pedestrian accident in Fort Myers left a teenager in critical condition at Lee Memorial Hospital, according to The News-Press. The 16-year-old pedestrian was trying to make his way across Palm Beach Boulevard by Orange River Boulevard when he was hit by a van. The accident happened around 7:00 a.m.

Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) report that the driver of the van tried to brake and swerve to avoid hitting the young pedestrian, but he was unable to do so. The pedestrian was taken to Lee Memorial with what medical officials classified as life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement officials report that the driver of the van will not face any charges or traffic citations because the pedestrian violated the right-of-way to eastbound traffic. The accident delayed traffic in the area for about 2 hours.

Our Fort Myers pedestrian accident lawyers understand how common pedestrian accidents along our Southwest Florida roadways. As we recently reported on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, the state of Florida has been ranked as the number one most dangerous state in the country for pedestrian accidents. If you’ve been outside, you can see that our mid-winter weather is absolutely beautiful. While other states are dealing with snow and ice, pedestrians across the state are free to roam under the warm winter sun. With the increase in pedestrian traffic, we’re likely to see an increase in the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Motorists and walkers and urged to be cautious when traveling along our busy Florida roadways. Pedestrian accidents can be prevented with the proper safe traveling habits.

From 2000 to 2009, Lee County witnessed approximately 200 pedestrian fatalities, according to Transportation For America. Pedestrian fatalities accounted for about 20 percent of the recorded traffic-related deaths during this time period. Pedestrian deaths here are more than 40 percent higher than the national average.

Safe Kids of Lee and Collier County suggests that local and state officials enforce the following laws to help keep our young pedestrians safe:

-Reduce speed limits even more in residential neighborhoods. Neighborhoods are a common backdrop for young pedestrian accidents. The slower a vehicle is traveling at the time of impact, the higher the chances are for a pedestrian to survive.

-Better protection for pedestrians traveling on sidewalks. Sidewalks should be away from busy roadways.

-Offer more walkways and sidewalks for pedestrians. These pedestrian travel lanes help to keep pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic separate.

-Ban drivers from passing stopped school buses. Every year, many young pedestrians are hit while getting on and off the bus every year. Drivers need to exercise extreme caution in these areas as child pedestrians are present.

-Provide the community with more crossing guards at busy intersections. Crossing guards help to get pedestrians and motorists on the same page and provide safe organization of traffic for all.

-Require that all pedestrians cross streets and designated crosswalks only. Most fatal pedestrian accidents happen at non-intersection area.

Each year, almost 650 pedestrians are killed while walking. Streets are the number location for these types of accident, but don’t forget that pedestrian accidents can happen in a number of other spots, including on sidewalks, in parking lots and on driveways.
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Everything can be regulated by parental control these days, but not pedestrian accidents in Fort Myers and elsewhere. A recent public service announcement released on the “See Blindspots” website is a little too offensive, says Florida State Senator Mike Fasano.

The video’s complaint center has received a number of concerning opinions stating that the video is too graphic. This content shows the real-life accidents that we see on Florida roadways every day. Fasano says these videos shouldn’t be visible to young viewers.

The “See the Blindspots” safety program was launched to help raise awareness about the dangers that pedestrians face all over the state of Florida and to urge drivers to navigate with more consideration for our on-foot travelers, according to Digital Journal.

Our Fort Myers pedestrian accident attorneys understand how prevalent pedestrian accidents are on our roadways. Florida has been named numerous times as the most dangerous state in the U.S. for these types of accidents. Florida State Representative Irv Slosberg supports this website and the message it accompanies to the fullest. Slosberg previously lost his daughter in a similar accident.

Rep. Slosberg says that there’s nothing wrong with the violent nature of this video because of how big of a problem it is on our state’s roadways. He says that he feels that this video is warranted because of the nature of the problem. Pedestrian and vehicle accidents in the state are alarmingly common and the public needs to know about it.

Florida saw nearly 500 pedestrian fatalities in 2009. These accidents placed the state as the number one deadliest state for pedestrian accidents, followed by Texas and Georgia, with less than Florida’s number and with significantly lower numbers since then.

“We’re going backwards instead of forwards. A lot of it has to do with driver distraction: cell phones, texting and driving,” says Rep. Slosberg.

Senator Fasano says families and Florida residents shouldn’t be forced to relive the pain and agony of their loss as illustrated in the video. No records of anyone, including students or drivers, have been found required to video to be watched.

Many of the accidents shown in the pedestrian-awareness video involve distracted drivers. In 2009, there were nearly 5,500 accidents caused by distracted drivers. Still, the state of Florida has yet to enact a law prohibiting any driver from engaging in this behavior.

Florida has continued to be named, year after year, as the most dangerous state in the country for fatal pedestrian accidents. According to First Coast News, nearly 10 pedestrians die and more than 20 are injured every week in our state.

Florida holds the top four slots for most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrian accidents in the entire country. From 2000 to 2009, there were nearly 5,200 pedestrian fatalities in our state. These accidents cost Florida more have $22 billion, according to Transportation for America.

“We need something graphic on air. A powerful message is needed to make an impact,” said Slosberg Continue reading ›

Residents are concerned with the safety of the proposed bicycle paths in Cape Coral. According to an article in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze, the new paths along Agualinda Boulevard will do nothing more than increase the risks of bicycling accidents in Cape Coral. Some believe that these paths will further complicate traffic conditions at 45th Terrance and 44th Terrace and will put bicyclists closer to fast-moving traffic.

Because of the rise in elevation from the canal bridge, motorists’ and bicyclists’ visibility is extremely limited from both the north and south sides when traveling near Agualinda Boulevard. As of now, there are sidewalks on both sides of the road. Traffic officials are looking to add another bicycle lane. But some bicycle and pedestrian advocates worry that the lane changes will be putting motorists closer to them and closer to an accident.

Our Cape Coral bicycle accident lawyers understand that lane width is critical in keeping our bicyclists safe. This is a popular area for bicyclists and pedestrians to travel. Increasing the number of lanes will ultimately put these bikers closer to traffic and may serve to increase close calls or actual accident on Agualinda Boulevard near both 45th and 44th Terrace.

Rex Newman of Cape Coral asked city council members who are voting for this change to come out to these sidewalks to see just how scary they are. He says these council members will immediately see how little room is provided with the conditions as they are now. He says there’s little room on these roadways already since travelers are so tightly squeezed in with obstructed visibility. Imagine being a bicyclist, he says, and riding while vehicles zipping past at 40 miles an hour. He says picture that and add a bridge that you can’t see over. Both of these conditions provide risky situations for passing bicyclists, pedestrians and vehicles entering and exiting the roadways.

He goes on to say that the city would only be contributing to more accidents at these intersections if it were to add another bike lane.

“Why fix something if it ain’t broke?” he asks.

Detractors also claim it would be an unnecessary expense. For the construction of this one lane, it would cost the city nearly $20,000. That’s money that could be used on constructing a safe sidewalk near a bus stop or along a school bus route.

According to the News-Press, about 100 people want to nix the bike path idea. More than 90 opposing comments were submitted to the city during a recent open house.

Cape Coral’s Transportation Advisory Commission says that these lanes won’t interfere with traffic. These lanes they’re trying to build would travel along Beach Parkway from Oasis Boulevard to Agualinda Boulevard and another lane from Cape Coral Parkway to Beach.

“This process is driven by citizens. It’s not driven by an initiative from City Hall.” said city traffic engineer Rashad Hanbali.

According to Hanbali, it’s not illegal for residents to ride their bicycle on the sidewalk, but bicyclists should walk their bike when pedestrians are around.

Southwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association supports the proposed bike lanes.

Overall, there are about three miles of lanes being proposed, which could cost the city nearly $60,000.

“Do we want it or do we really need it?” said Councilman Eric Kuehn. “Do we have the money to do this?”
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A recent pedestrian accident in Cape Coral took the life of a 15-year-old girl. Taylor Palmer and two friends were crossing Pondella Road just before 8:00 a.m. The young girl was transported to Cape Coral Hospital and died just a few hours later, according to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze.

According to officer’s accident reports, the three young girls were crossing from the north side of Pondella to the south side. The motorists stated that the three girls just “suddenly appeared.”

Our Cape Coral pedestrian accident attorneys understand that young pedestrians face serious risks for traffic-related accidents on our roadways. As we recently reported on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, the number of pedestrian fatalities on Florida roadways rose nearly 4 percent from 2009 to 2010. Our state is still listed as the most dangerous state in the country for these types of accidents. As the school year gets underway, motorists are urged to keep a watchful eye out for young pedestrians heading to and from school. Many of these young walkers are unable to understand the functions and the risks associated with traffic flow. For this reason, we are asking that all motorists be extremely careful when traveling near school zones, residential neighborhoods or near school start and end times.

Of the three girls crossing Pondella, two were able to make it out of the way in time. Unfortunately, the third was not. She was struck by the front of the vehicle and way tossed onto the car’s hood and windshield.

“The traffic homicide investigation continues,” said Lt. Larry King, spokesman for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers do not believe that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or any type of drugs at the time of the incident. The names of the two other girls were not released after the accident.

In 2008, there were nearly 500 pedestrian fatalities in the state of Florida. During this time more than 11 percent of pedestrian fatalities and more than 17 percent of bicyclists that died in the U.S. died on Florida roadways. This statistic is even more alarming when you consider that the state only holds about 6 percent of the entire country’s population.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, children between the ages of 5- and 9-years-old accounted for about 20 percent of all of the pedestrians who were killed in traffic-related accidents in 2009. Children under the age of 16 accounted for nearly 10 percent of the pedestrian fatalities that occurred during this same time.

Requirements of pedestrians and nearby drivers, according to the Florida Department of Transportation:

-Where sidewalks are provided, no pedestrian shall walk on any part of the roadway.

-Where there are no sidewalks, pedestrians should only walk on the shoulder of the left-hand side of the roadway facing oncoming traffic.

-No one should ride any coaster, toy vehicle or ride on skates on the roadway unless crossing the street using a crosswalk.
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Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys thought you might be interested in the 2010 Florida Traffic Crash Statistics Report, recently released by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. One of the more alarming statistics cited in the report are the increased number of pedestrian deaths, which rose more than 3.5 percent since 2009. This statistical rise will assuredly keep Florida in the number one spot as the deadliest state for pedestrians.

Julie Jones, executive director of the department, also points out the following highlights of the report:

-Deaths related to traffic crashes on Florida roads have declined by 4.6 percent between 2009 and 2010.

Our Florida weather provides the perfect year-round opportunity for residents and tourists to get outside and enjoy some bicycling. Unfortunately, these conditions are a part of the reason why our state has been named the most dangerous state in the county for bicyclists. A bicycling accident in Lee County happens about every 34 hours, making our county the most dangerous in the entire country, according to Bike Radar.

A number of residents are involved in community bike rides, but they’re very cautious when planning these trips. Veteran bicyclists are careful not to ride in dangerous areas on busy roads. But if the dangers in specific areas are concerning experienced bike riders, what should a novice rider do to help protect themselves?

Our Fort Myers bicycling accident attorneys understand the dangers that bicyclists face on roadways in our area. Luckily, we’re able to tell you about a number of projects that county officials are considering in an attempt to help bicyclists in our area. A few new projects are scheduled to begin soon.

First, transportation officials are looking at two specific projects. The first is a link between recreational centers that already have bike routes. The second project involves the construction of a university loop bike path. About $2 million has been set aside for these Lee County bicycle projects. The county hopes to receive grants from the state for future bike-path projects.

County officials have a few long-term plan up their sleeve as well to help protect our area’s bicyclists and pedestrians. They are looking into making the Seminole Rail Line into a multi-use path.

“Some of the things we’re doing include conducting ‘Cycling Savvy’ bike education programs and aggressively pushing for complete street politics to be adopted and implemented by all governments in our county,” Dan Moser of BikeWalkLee.

Bicyclists are getting involved as well to help make our roadways safer. A recent Ride of Silence was held to help raise awareness about the presence of bicyclists on our roadways and to encourage motorists to be more cautious when traveling in areas where bikers are known to ride.

Beau Cautens is a shop mechanic at Paradise Bicycles in Cape Coral and he says that he can tell that the area is starting to recognize bikers. He says that he’s noticing that new roads in Cape Coral are in fact being built with bike lanes. He also notices that a number of four-lane roadways are being reduced to two-lane roads so that a bike lane can be worked into these areas. He says that it’s taking a while, but the area is getting there.

Cautens says that bicyclists still need to be cautious on our roadways and educated about which areas are safest to ride through. Bicyclists need to be familiar with bike laws in Florida to help prevent a potentially fatal accident with a motor vehicle.

According to federal statistics, nearly 20 percent of the country’s cycling fatalities occurred in Florida in 2008.
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