Pedestrian versus motor vehicle accidents are far more common than 
you think. It happens thousands of times a year in Florida. Often, pedestrian accidents result in serious and sometimes catastrophic injuries or death. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 501 pedestrians were killed in single-vehicle crashes in Florida in 2013.
Generally, when a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle while the pedestrian is in the crosswalk, the motor vehicle driver is responsible; however, even if a pedestrian is not in a crosswalk, the motor vehicle driver still has a legal duty to scan the roadway and to exercise due care to avoid striking the pedestrian.
Drivers can avoid and/or lessen the risk of pedestrian accidents by:
- Not “overdriving” their headlights
- Slowing down in residential neighborhoods
- Looking twice before approaching intersections, and
- Staying off cell phones while driving.
Pedestrians can also reduce the risk of these accidents by:
- Ensuring they are aware of vehicles around them
- Wearing bright, visible clothing, and
- Crossing at an intersection in a crosswalk, when available.
