Want to get hit by a car? Cross the road while texting, and you’ll be looking for a good personal injury lawyer. That’s if you don’t get killed. Pedestrian fatalities are up for the second year in a row across America. As a matter of fact, drivers are mowing down pedestrians at a record high.
And if you really do want to get hit by a car, Florida is the place to be. Florida leads the country in metropolitan areas with fatal encounters between cars and street crossers. Among the most dangerous places to walk in Central Florida are Palm Bay/Melbourne, Orlando, Kissimmee, and Jacksonville. In fact, Florida claims seven of the top ten most dangerous places to go for a stroll in America. Experts agree that the spike in fatalities is happening because everyone’s walking around in an iPhone daze.
Text, Walk and get Hit by a Car
But a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) says that there’s another reason more people are likely to get hit by a car these days. That’s because, in an increasing number of cases, a texting driver hits a texting pedestrian. Richard Retting, the author of the GHSA report, told the investigative news organization FairWarning that Cell phones are “a visual magnet, people use them for countless applications.”
“There’s a great concern because people are taking their eyes off whatever the task is and becoming distracted. In this case, taking the eyes off the road is essentially driving blindfolded,” Retting said. “My greatest concern is that when you have both the pedestrian and driver distracted, which is very common now, people don’t see each other coming.”
Adding to the lack of focus, according to the report, is that more people are smoking marijuana before hitting the sidewalks. The report noted that the odds of getting hit by a car went way up in states where pot was legalized.
If an accident affects your life, contact the Orlando personal injury attorneys at Martinez Manglardi. Call 407-846-2240 for a free consultation. Offices throughout Central Florida.
