Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accidents

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is currently working on improving 10 intersections along 4^th Street in St. Petersburg in an effort to make the area more walkable for pedestrians and cyclists.

In order to stop drivers from speeding through 4^th Street, crews are installing curb bulb-outs, features that narrow the roadways giving pedestrians more space to walk. An FDOT spokesperson said these curb bulb-outs will also help to stop speeding drivers as they will yield more to pedestrians, thus reducing the high number of collisions.

FDOT data shows that from 2015-2019 there were 364 traffic accidents that occurred along 4th Street, 17 of these involved pedestrians.

Also, a part of the project are new signs to make drivers more aware of bicyclists and pedestrians.

A similar project was recently completed on 3^rd Street, which prompted city officials to seek the same work on 4^th Street. FDOT officials aim to make downtown more walkable than it currently is.

The construction on 4^th Street is anticipated to be completely by early next year.

So far in 2023 Pinellas County has seen 522 traffic crashes, resulting in 4 fatalities and 313 injuries, according to reports from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). We are just 26 days into 2023 and the county has seen 17 bicycle crashes, 13 motorcycle collisions, and 17 pedestrian accidents resulting in 3 deaths.

In 2022, Pinellas County had 15,660 traffic crashes resulting in 121 deaths and 9,212 injuries. Bicycle crashes reached 578 resulting in 13 fatalities. Motorcycle crashes reached 435 resulting in 31 deaths. Pedestrian crashes totaled 474 with 36 fatalities.

In 2021, Pinellas County had 16,464 traffic accidents resulting in 158 fatalities and 9,428 injuries. Bicycle crashes reached 546 with 16 deaths and pedestrian accidents totaled 499 with 61 deaths. Continue reading

The number of people racing through the active crosswalk of 5th Avenue North at 25th Street North has more than just the neighborhood buzzing with complaints. It now has the attention of Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson.

The crosswalk has been compared to playing a game of “Frogger,” where you press the ‘walk’ button and expect cars to stop for pedestrians, but they do not.

Due to the fact that St. Petersburg High School is located right at this intersection, the reason for concern is more than validated.

The St. Petersburg Police Department has reported that there have been 58 crashes between 21st Street and 34th Street just within the past five months. Three of these resulted in fatalities.

Interesting Fact: For the month of February, the intersection of 34th Street and 5th Avenue North was ranked as the second worst intersection in St. Petersburg.

With so many accidents occurring at this popular crosswalk, our Tampa Pedestrian Accident Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton would like to offer up a few tips that can help keep everyone using the roadways safer. These simple steps only take five seconds, and could very well save a life.

Pedestrians

1. Always cross at the marked crosswalk.
2. Look left and right and make sure the roadway is clear before walking, regardless of if there is a signal that says you are “OK” to walk.
3. If you see a vehicle approach, make eye contact with the driver in an attempt to make sure they see you before you walk.
4. Look before you walk past stopped vehicles, even if they have waved you to go ahead. You need to make sure ALL lanes are clear before proceeding.

Drivers

1. ALWAYS yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and an intersection.
2. Make sure you are prepared to stop at all marked crosswalks. Keep your eyes open and slow down at crosswalks.
3. Look out for skateboarders, bikers, etc. as they can approach crosswalks much faster than those on foot.
4. Come to a complete stop at crosswalks and intersections and make sure there are no pedestrians present before continuing on.
5. Wait until pedestrians have crossed completely before you resume your travel.
6. Do not pass another vehicle that is slowing down or stopping at a crosswalk.

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Two Plant City High School students were killed in a motorcycle crash Friday at the intersection of Bay to Bay Boulevard and Lois Avenue, where a traffic signal and other safety improvements are under review.

The city of Tampa staff in conjunction with Hillsborough County have been trying to secure funding for years to improve the safety at this dangerous intersection, but the money just isn’t available, according to reports.

Ove the past two months, Tampa city staff have been looking at taking temporary measures to keep pedestrians safe from the short distance near a school and park, such as a pedestrian-activated crossing (a rectangular flashing beacon) like the ones you can see Bayshore Boulevard.