Yes. You are thinking that the title didn’t pose a yes or no question, right? The answer is that yes, crosswalks are dangerous, and yes, crosswalks are safe. In other words, there is no clear-cut answer weather they help reduce pedestrian accidents or not. Making this subject being hotly debated here on the east coast of Florida. Because we, at Nance Cacciatore, specialize in personal injury cases, the safety of people trying to cross the street is a concern for us. Let’s take a deeper look at this issue.
There Are So Many Crosswalks Beachside!
If you don’t live beachside and haven’t been there lately, then you may not have known that SIXTEEN mid-block crosswalks were added in 2019 on S.R. A1A between Satellite Beach and Indialantic. A mid-block crosswalk is one that occurs in between traffic lights where you would not normally find a crosswalk. There is currently a proposal to add four of these crosswalks in Cocoa Beach, also on S.R. A1A.
The reason for these mid-block crosswalks is due to the high pedestrian traffic crossing A1A to go to the beach. Many people, particularly those walking from their homes, don’t take the time to walk multiple blocks to get to a crosswalk. Because of this, there is heavy pedestrian traffic in areas without crosswalks. But, the addition of the sixteen crosswalks in 2019 has cut down on that.
Seems Like a Good Idea – Why Are These Crosswalks Controversial?
When a pedestrian presses the button, these crosswalks have yellow lights that begin flashing to let vehicles know that someone is trying to cross. Because there is no traffic light to force vehicles to stop, pedestrians must wait for vehicles coming from both directions on the four-lane stretch of A1A to stop and let them safely cross. Particularly, because these are a fairly new addition to A1A, vehicles do not always stop right away. It seems to sometimes take a car or two passing through the crosswalk for it to “register” with drivers that the lights are flashing, and they need to stop.
These crosswalks have become controversial because the safety of the pedestrians is in question. This safety concern hit especially close to home when a Surfside Elementary student in Satellite Beach was struck and killed in one of these crosswalks in December 2019. Is a crosswalk that is not at a signal light really safe? On the other side of the argument, isn’t it better to have the availability of mid-block crosswalks for pedestrians as opposed to allowing them to just race across A1A like a live-action version of “Frogger?” There is no clear answer to these questions.
Pedestrian Accidents and Nance Cacciatore Law
Nance Cacciatore specializes in personal injury law. We know that any pedestrian accidents has the potential to be devastating. If you have been the victim of a pedestrian versus vehicle accident and have not received appropriate compensation from the automobile insurance company, then you need to call us. We work on contingency, taking no money until we win your case. You do not have to be buried under a mountain of medical debt. Please contact us or give us a call and let us help you today!
