Each year, thousands of pedestrians are killed by drivers in the US. Earlier this year, Smart Growth America released, “Dangerous by Design,” which tabulates pedestrian deaths broken down by states and metro areas from 2003 to 2012. Each location is given a “Pedestrian Danger Index” (PDI) score, which combines the total pedestrian fatalities with the total number that commute by foot. The higher the PDI score, the more dangerous a location is for pedestrians. Use the interactive graph here.
Every city in the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians in the United States is either in the southeast or the southwest. Florida in particular, has the most jaw-dropping numbers when it comes to PDI. The four cities with the highest PDI score are all in the state of Florida.
If you’re visiting Disney World, don’t forget to look both ways when crossing the street. With a PDI score nearly five times higher than the national average, the Orlando-Kissimmee area is by far the most dangerous place in the US for pedestrians. And it’s not just the Orlando area that makes Florida the most dangerous state for pedestrians. Following Orlando are Tampa, Jacksonville, and then Miami-Fort Lauderdale. From 2003 to 2012, more than 1,500 pedestrian deaths just in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area alone. Click here to view the blue interactive graph.
Happy walking. Especially if you’re in Florida…
Click here to read the full article from the Huff Post Miami.
