Contrary to popular belief, “jaywalking” is not a legal term. There are no statutes against jaywalking in Florida. Many actions can be referred to as jaywalking; some of them being illegal. Crossing the street against a red light is illegal and may result in a ticket. However, crossing mid-block or outside a crosswalk is not necessarily illegal. Inside a crosswalk, drivers must cede right-of-way to pedestrians. There are only laws preventing a pedestrian from crossing outside a crosswalk in Florida if they are crossing between two intersections that each have traffic lights. Otherwise, a pedestrian may cross anywhere so long as they yield to auto traffic.
Florida Today reports on a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a vehicle on A1A in Melbourne.
Stephanie Delli had parked at Walmart on the beachside and was headed across the street to watch her family perform at Lou’s Blues Bar and Restaurant. As she stepped on a darkened stretch of State Road A1A about half a block from a crosswalk, she was struck by a car. She was later pronounced dead at Holmes Regional Medical Center.
Delli’s death came as community planners, civil engineers, and police officers struggle to make roadways like SR A1A safe for pedestrians. Many do not use crosswalks to cross the busy coastal highway. Currently, municipalities plan to install a dozen crosswalk beacons, which will warn drivers as they enter pedestrian-heavy traffic areas.
A recent Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles study noticed that pedestrian versus vehicle accidents have increased by nearly 30% across Brevard County over the past five years. ‘
The Risk of Being Hit by a Car in Plantation It seems like every time you turn on the news, there is another story of someone getting hit by a car in South Florida. Just this week, a couple in their eighties were struck and killed by a car in Fort Myers, and two University of Miami students were struck and killed while crossing the...
Pedestrian loses life in five-vehicle collision A multi-vehicle crash occurred, killing a pedestrian who behaved as a good Samaritan. The tragic collision occurred in Cantonment, Florida, on, January 10, 2017, just prior to 6 p.m. on U.S. 29 and Hazzard Lane. A Toyota XB and a Jeep Cherokee were going in the northern direction, and nearing Hazzard Lane in the outer...
Distracted Walking New Research Shows Distracted Walking Causes South Florida Accidents Almost everyone seems to have a cell phone these days, as popularity for the iPhone and other smartphones is ever increasing. Although the cell phone is a great invention, it seems as if it poses an inevitable threat on the road to those using one. The...
University of Central Florida to implement pedestrian safety plan The Orange County Board of Commissioners has approved a $5 million plan to improve pedestrian and bike safety on the major roads serving the University of Central Florida (UCF) campus. The plan includes the building and improving of mid-block crosswalks, sidewalks and bike paths in order to make their use safer and more appealing to...
How Do Pedestrians Seek Compensation for Injuries If Hit by a Car In Florida? There are several ways pedestrians can seek compensation for their injuries if hit by a car in Florida. If you were the victim of this type of accident, you might be able to file a claim with your own no-fault insurance, with the at-fault driver’s no-fault insurance, or with the motorist’s auto liability policy. If...
Fort Lauderdale Pedestrian Accident Statistics Not everyone gets around Fort Lauderdale by car, and even drivers become pedestrians when they use sidewalks and crosswalks to get to their destinations, such as the park, a beach, or a downtown festival, after parking somewhere nearby. Unfortunately, year after year, Fort Lauderdale consistently ranks among the deadliest cities in Florida and the United...
