Is Ft. Lauderdale That Dangerous for Pedestrians?

“Look both ways before you cross the street” is something you might have heard as you were growing up. Yet it’s frustrating when you do look both ways and drivers still act negligently on the road although you take extra precaution to be safe.

That’s because cars rule the country. Well, it at least seems that way. With the amount of new technology placed in cars to help drivers parallel park, keep an eye on their blind spots, and avoid rear-ending other vehicles, it’s hard not to want to be a part of this new age of driving. You also might think it would be easy to include technology to help drivers be more cautious of pedestrians. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Top 7 Dangerous Roads for Pedestrians

The following roads have the most number of crashes in Ft. Lauderdale from 2012-2016.

1. 200 SW 2nd St. | 6 crashes
2. 3400 N US 1 N Federal Hwy | 3 crashes
3. 1032 NW 9th Ave. | 3 crashes
4. 1100 SE 17th St. | 3 crashes
5. 801 Seabreeze Blvd. State Road A1A | 3 crashes
6. 110 N Federal Hwy | 2 crashes
7. 1140 (A1A) Seabreeze Blvd. | 2 crashes | 1 fatality

Be Cautious of These Roads, Too

These 13 Fort Lauderdale locations had crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities

1. 1140 Seabreeze Blvd.
2. 143 NW 76th
3. 150 N Federal Hwy
4. 1565 W Sunrise Blvd.
5. 2317 SW 14th Ct.
6. 308 Iowa Ave.
7. 3100 W Broward Blvd.
8. 3300 NE 40th St.
9. 40th St. (parking lot)
10. 4616 N Federal Hwy US 1
11. 5443 US 1
12. 6001 NE 19th Ave.
13. 701 W Broward Blvd.

Ft. Lauderdale had 368 crashes involving pedestrians- over 150 more crashes than those involving cyclists. Maybe it’s harder to see pedestrians in the roadway; maybe some pedestrians break the law when crossing the road. However, the responsibility must fall on motorists to be cautious of where and how they drive when pedestrians are present.

Because pedestrians do not wear protective gear, they are more vulnerable to injuries and fatalities than any other non-motorist. And, while the pedestrian crash problem is not nearly as fatal compared to larger cities with higher populations (and therefore even more cars and dangerous driving on the roads), it still poses a great risk to Ft. Lauderdale residents.