Listen to Your Mother’s Advice

You likely understand the importance of safe driving and the corresponding fundamentals.  They’ve been reinforced through ads, special service announcements, and specific education throughout your driving career.  You don’t even have to be a driver to be aware of safe driving fundamentals.  But, outside of the toddler zone, one rarely gets any advice on being a safe pedestrian.  Remember when your mother told you, hounded you, to look both ways before crossing the street?  Well perhaps that advice is worth hanging onto for life.

During the years 2003 through 2012, approximately 47,025 pedestrians died while walking on our streets. That’s more than 16 times the number of Americans who died in natural disasters during the same time period. [1] Concurrently, 676,000 people were injured as a result from being struck by a vehicle.[2]  In fact, during 2012, people on foot represented nearly 15% of all traffic fatalities.

The Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) measures the rate of pedestrian deaths relative to the number of people who walk to work in the region.  The index was first developed in the 1990s by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership and used more recently by Transportation for America. [3]

The national average PDI is 52.2.  That equates to approximately 1.56 deaths per 100,000 people.  Following are the 10 most dangerous areas for pedestrians based on PDI:

            Metro Area                                                                PDI

10.       Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC                     111.74
9.         Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale,  AZ                                118.64
8.         Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA                     119.35
7.         Houston-Sugarland-Baytown, TX                          119.64
6.         Birmingham-Hoover, AL                                          125.60
5.         Memphis, TN-MS-AR                                               131.26
4.         Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL          145.33
3.         Jacksonville, FL                                                          182.71
2.         Tampa-St.Pete-Clearwater, FL                                190.13
1.         Orlando, Kissimmee, FL                                           244.28

Noting that Orlando has an index that is 4 times higher than the national average indicates that our pedestrian thoroughfares can be better engineered to coexist with our roadways, especially in areas of growth and where aging populations flourish.  However, based upon the lack of public funds for infrastructure improvements and other services, it’s probably best to pay closer attention to what your mother told you many years ago…”Look Both Ways!”  It very well could save your life.

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[1] According to data available from the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. See

www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats/resources/weather_fatalities.pdf and

earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/us_deaths.php

[2] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. General Estimates System. Available at www.nhtsa.gov.

[3] Smart Growth America Dangerous By Design 2014.