Was Crossing the Street Safer in 2015?

While Best Foot Forward’s goal is to change drivers’ behaviors by getting people to yield to people crossing the street, we can’t ignore the injury and fatality stats.  Trends in crash data can help us identify unsafe streets that need to be addressed right away.

The good news is that Orange County saw a slight reduction in the number of drivers who collided with people walking. In 2014, 637 people were injured or killed. In 2015, the number is 586, a decrease of 51.

Numbers are numbers. Let’s put it in perspective. A Boeing 747 aircraft can carry between 450 and 550 passengers. If a plane like this crashed in Orange County every year, we would be outraged. No one would say it’s “progress” if this year’s plane crash carried 50 fewer passengers.

Bottom line – people are getting injured or killed for doing something as simple as crossing the street. Crashes are preventable, not inevitable.

MetroPlan Orlando 2015 Report:

• 545 people were injured and 41 people died when crossing the street in Orange County.
• 204 people were injured or killed within a five miles of Downtown Orlando (188 injuries and 16 deaths). Source: MetroPlan Orlando, 2015 Crash Trends Report, 2007-2015
• 482 people were injured or killed while riding a bike on Orange County roads (472 injuries and 10 deaths). Source: MetroPlan Orlando, 2015 Crash Trends Report, 2007-2015
• 176 people riding a bike within five miles of Downtown Orlando were injured or killed in 2015 (173 injuries and 3 deaths). Source: MetroPlan Orlando, 2015 Crash Trends Report, 2007-2015