Published on Tuesday, May 16, 2006
in the WINK TV News

Pedestrians, drivers share blame for unsafe street crossings

Five-hundred and four pedestrians died trying to cross Florida roads in 2004, placing the state at the top in the country for pedestrian fatalities.

Who is to blame? People crossing the street unsafely? Or could it be unsafe drivers?

When the red hand turns to the white walk signal, the roads should be clear for pedestrians, right??

“When you see them in crosswalks, there's nothing difficult about it,” said one driver. “They're in a crosswalk, you stop for them. They have the right of way.”

But are all drivers really that patient? Do they believe walkers own the road when crossing?

“Oh no. Not at all. Not at all. Or maybe it's just me,” said pedestrian Dane Wooten of Fort Myers.

Florida statutes say pedestrians do have the right of way in crosswalks and that cars must yield to them.

WINK News took its cameras to different intersections in Lee County to see how many cars obeyed the traffic law.

We crossed the roads several times and found that, for the most part, drivers stopped. But there were some problems with the timing of the lights.

“Don’t assume because the lights change for you it's clear,” said Corporal Linda Powell of the Florida Highway Patrol.

The greatest threat to pedestrians in the crosswalks are the cars making right-hand turns. Although drivers are allowed to make the turn, they must yield to any pedestrian that's in the crosswalk.

Another potential problem is the length of time cross signals last and how long it takes to cross intersections.

We timed the lights at the congested intersections of Pondella and US 41 and Orange Grove and Hancock Bridge in Fort Myers.

On average, the walk light lasted 25 to 30 seconds – enough time for the average pedestrian to cross the street – but perhaps not enough time for others.

WINK cameras captured a woman trying to cross. She got caught at the light in the middle of the road and had a hard time getting across.

Another major problem is the lack of crosswalks between major intersections.

Stretches of Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers have no place for pedestrians to cross.

We found that many people chose to take a chance and jaywalk on that busy road rather than walk several blocks to a cross signal.

“They assume that because they're a pedestrian they have the right of way no matter what,” explained Corporal Powell. “They do not.”

If there is no crosswalk, the law states pedestrians may cross, but they must yield to traffic.

Drivers say walkers jumping into the road is what scares them.

“Sometimes when they're young kids and that you don't know what they're going to do. If they have the skateboards and everything, you're taking a chance,” said driver Dawn Moses.

Simple safety tips for both pedestrians and drivers will prevent accidents.

Those on foot should always try to use a crosswalk. If there is not one around, wait until the road is clear. Be sure to look both ways before crossing.

Drivers need to keep their eyes open. Cars turning should always stop, not roll through the light. And most importantly, take a few extra seconds to see what and who is on the road.

“It could cost somebody their life if you don't take the extra seconds,” said Corporal Powell.

The Florida Highway Patrol is still compiling the statistics for 2005. However, from 2000 to 2004, more than 1,700 pedestrians were hit and injured in Southwest Florida.

In that time period, 76 pedestrians were killed on Lee County roads, 27 in Collier County, 11 in Hendry County, seven in Charlotte, five in DeSoto, and two pedestrians were killed on the roads in Glades County.