Man Killed in Bradenton Pedestrian Accident
Florida streets are often busy with vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Because of all these elements, it’s important to stay alert. When there are distractions or other issues at play, fatal accidents can occur.
Unfortunately, this recently happened in Bradenton. A 47-year-old man was killed while crossing a street. The fatal crash occurred on the morning of November 28 on 15th Street East.
The Sarasota man was crossing 15th Street East, near 63rd Avenue, when he was hit by a sedan. The man died at the accident scene. The driver of the sedan, a 29-year-old Bradenton woman, was not injured in the crash. 15th Street East was closed in both directions due to the accident. It reopened by noon.
Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Many of the pedestrian accidents that occur in Florida are caused by drivers that do not take the necessary safety precautions to prevent accidents. They may be distracted, fatigued, intoxicated, or not following the laws. This means that pedestrians who obey traffic laws and use marked crosswalks can still be hit by negligent drivers. When an accident is the pedestrian’s fault, failure to check the crosswalk is normally the main reason.
The most common cause of pedestrian injuries are drivers that fail to stop at stop signs or traffic lights. However, distractions play a part in pedestrian accidents. This is due to technology. Texting is becoming increasingly common, as drivers are paying more attention to their phones. They may be focusing on texting, making phone calls, playing music, and using GPS rather than paying attention to pedestrians on the roadways.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that speeding is the biggest contributor to car accidents in general. Speeding makes a crash more likely to occur. In fact, a study showed that for every 1% increase in a vehicle’s speed, the chance of being involved in a crash increased by 2%.
Speeding also increases the risk of injuries to yourself and others. For every 1% increase in speed, the chance of serious injury increased by 3%, with the risk of a fatality rising by 4%.
Failure to yield is a major issue as well. Failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks (marked or unmarked) commonly leads to pedestrian accidents. Florida law states a vehicle approaching a pedestrian legally crossing the street at an intersection must allow the person walking to cross. This applies to drivers as well as bicyclists. Failure to yield could result in a citation, a fine of $164, and three points on a person’s driver’s license.
However, pedestrians have to follow laws as well. For example, no pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb and walk or run into the path or a vehicle, making it impossible for the driver to yield. Many people would call this jaywalking, but interestingly, jaywalking is not a legal term under Florida law.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Stepping out into the street can be dangerous. Pedestrians and motorists need to be careful.
A Bradenton pedestrian accident lawyer from Cahall Law Firm can ensure you get justice as well as the maximum compensation possible. To schedule a free consultation, call (941) 281-2019 or fill out the online form.
Source:
bradenton.com/news/local/traffic/article282405448.html
