(BEING EDITED)
You see it everywhere: ads campaigning for safe and sober driving. And all while we’re focusing on the risks of drunk driving, there’s a new epidemic forming. We’re talking about the risks associated with drinking and walking.
According to the Associated Press, nearly 40 percent of the pedestrians killed in 2012 were legally drunk when the accident happened. The data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) goes on to explain that most of the pedestrians who were killed in these intoxicated pedestrian accidents were those between the ages of 25 and 34. To be more specific, close to 650 of these pedestrians were under the influence when an accident happened.
Our Palm City car accident attorneys understand that intoxicated travelers have become a growing epidemic in our country. In comparison to the intoxicated walkers, intoxicated drivers only accounted for 13 percent of the drivers who were involved in fatal pedestrian accidents. This is a clear sign that it’s not always safe to walk home after spending a night at the bar. Alcohol affects our abilities to make safe decisions. When acting as a pedestrian, alcohol impairment can cause pedestrians to cross the road unsafely, ignore traffic signals and put themselves in dangerous predicaments.
With the release of this news, officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are stepping in with new tools to help communities to keep their pedestrians safe out there. This is important to communities here in the state of Florida as
As pedestrian fatalities continue to rise, Jonathan Adkins with GHSA encouraged communities to launch their very own anti-drunk walking campaigns. He says that communities have been spending too much time focusing on anti-drunk driving campaigns and that has been a leading factor leading to the increase in intoxicated pedestrian accidents. Residents and visitors think that they’ll be safer walking home — and unfortunately, that’s how thousands are dying.
“We haven’t done such a good job of reminding them that other drunk behavior, including walking, can be just as dangerous,” said Adkins.
Officials aren’t stopping at pedestrians though, they’re also focusing on bicycle riders as intoxicated biking accidents are increase too — especially in areas with popular bike-sharing programs.
According to Transportation For America, Florida holds four of the top five most dangerous areas in the nation for these kinds of accidents. Fort Lauderdale ranks in at number 4 on that list — out of the entire country!
If you’ve been out drinking, and you’ve only got your own two feet to get you home — you might want to think again. Remember that intoxication increases your risks for an accident regardless of what you’re doing. Stay put and call a cab. The last think you want to do is flirt with the dangers of the road.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian or a bicycle accident, contact Freeman & Mallard for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Florida Pedestrian Safety a Summer Concern, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, April 17, 2013
Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents in South Florida on the Rise, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, December 7, 2012