Dangerous by Design-A Pedestrian Safety Report from Transportation for America

[Marisel Brown]

The home of Disney World, Orlando, is the most dangerous place in the nation for pedestrians.  The report, Dangerous by Design, examines causes and solutions to pedestrian injuries and deaths.

"The decades-long neglect of pedestrian safety in the design and use of American streets is exacting a heavy toll on our lives. In the last decade, from 2000 through 2009, more than 47,700 pedestrians were killed in the United States, the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing roughly every month.   On top of that, more than 688,000 pedestrians were injured over the decade, a number equivalent to a pedestrian being struck by a car or truck every 7 minutes.  Still more Americans are getting far less exercise in their daily lives than they would be if they felt safer getting about on foot or bicycle.

Despite the magnitude of these avoidable tragedies, little public attention – and even less in public resources – has been committed to reducing pedestrian deaths and injuries in the United States. On the contrary, transportation agencies typically prioritize speeding traffic over the safety of people on foot or other vulnerable road users. " 

 Excerpt from Executive Summary