Question: how safe do you feel walking around in Dallas, Fort Worth or Arlington? Because of my profession as a personal injury attorney in Fort Worth, I'm always extra cautious when traveling as a pedestrian and now, according to a new study by Transportation for America, I have even more reason to feel uneasy. In their 2011 report on the Most Dangerous Large Metro Areas for Pedestrians, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington region ranks as the 10th most dangerous area for pedestrians in the country!
It was shocking to me that Tarrant County could be more dangerous for pedestrians than say New York City or Los Angeles, but it's true. From 2000-2009, there have been 942 pedestrian deaths in our area and when I started thinking about it, I do hear a lot about pedestrians getting hit by cars in our local news. Just in May I wrote about a pedestrian fatality in Arlington that was the cities 14th pedestrian death of the year! What's going on?
Why is it that DFW is so unfriendly to pedestrians? Are there not enough sidewalks, or are drivers just not paying attention to people walking? To me, this is scary because many of the pedestrians in our cities are children and teenagers, who walk because they can't drive. They deserve to be safe and get to where they're going, without fear of getting hit by a car.
Do our cities need to do more to protect pedestrians? Obviously. We all know that Arlington and Fort Worth are planning bike lane projects, but what are they doing for people not on wheels? I can tell you in my industry, some of the most catastrophic injuries I see come from people who have been hit by a car while they are crossing the street. Because they have no protection, these victims end up with life-long injuries, if they even survive. Ranking as the 10th most dangerous city for pedestrians is one title the cities of Fort Worth, Dallas and Arlington can live without.
With numbers like these, it's very likely that you've had a close call as a pedestrian in DFW. If you were hit by a car while crossing the street, call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900. The attorneys at my firm are experienced in pedestrian and bicycle accidents. We can help you recover damages for your lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering if you were hurt as a pedestrian. Call us today for your free case consultation and as always - be safe out there.
Category: Bicycle & Pedestrian Accidents
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