Florida Found Most Dangerous Place for Pedestrians

Orlando and three other Florida metropolitan regions again top the list of most dangerous places for pedestrians, with more than 550 pedestrians killed between 2000 and 2009. According to a survey by Transportation America, these areas lead the nation in pedestrian fatalities and other injuries relative to the amount of walking that occurs there, and Hispanic and black residents are disproportionately the victims.

Experts blame the problem on a glut of wide, arterial roads built for cars. These multi-lane roads have few crosswalks and sidewalks, and the car culture built up around them includes some motorists who speed up at the site of pedestrians crossing.

Southern and southwestern metro areas make up the bulk of the regions that scored poorly on the survey. New York City-Northern New Jersey-Long Island was found to be the safest place for pedestrians.