South Florida Pedestrian E.R. Visits on the Rise

When many people think of distractions and traveling, they think of texting while driving. Well, we’re here with another problem that’s plaguing our roadways. It’s texting while walking.

According to the Sun Sentinel, pedestrians who text while walking are limping their way into South Florida emergency rooms with some serious injuries. If you’re looking down at a phone, how are you going to be able to avoid a car coming right at you? Unfortunately, that’s a scenario we see all too often.

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that pedestrians aren’t able to rely on the safe driving habits of others to keep them safe. You’ve got to fend for yourself out there and you need your full attention to do so.

“They almost always want to stay in touch with their Twitter and the Internet. They are almost addicted to it,” said Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, chief of emergency medicine for Broward Health.

While it’s okay to update your Facebook and Twitter, you might not want to do it while walking near vehicles that are traveling 50 miles per hour.

This is new behavior that has caught the attention of officials with the American College of Emergency Physicians. It even has its own entry on their “Injury Prevention” website, citing “sending text messages at inappropriate times, such as walking.”

According to the study, the risks for pedestrian accidents are greater in areas with nice, sunny weather — which makes Florida a war zone. When the weather is nice, residents and visitors are more likely to get out and walk, and with more pedestrian traffic we see an increase in the risks and ultimately an increase in the number of accidents.

According to a report from 2012 from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were more than 1,000 people who were treated for injuries related to using a cell phone and walking at the same time. Unfortunately, many officials believe this number is actually much higher because they don’t believe that many of the cases are accurately reported.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 500 pedestrians killed in the state of Florida in 2010. During that year, and most others, we were ranked as one of the most dangerous states in the country for these kinds of accidents.

In the U.S., a pedestrian is injured in a traffic accident about every eight minutes. Most of these accidents happen because we don’t see the dangerous driving habits of those around us in time. Next time you’re heading down the road on two feet, we’re asking you to look up and to stay aware. Your reaction abilities could help you to avoid a potentially fatal accident with a motor vehicle that’s heading straight for you. more If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact Richard Ansara at 954 761-3641 or toll-free at 877-277-3780 for a free initial consultation to discuss your case. More Blog Entries: Young Driver Blamed for Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Broward, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, July 10, 2013 Pedestrian Killed by Broward Officer Accused of Speeding, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, July 2, 2013