Florida a Dangerous Place for Black Pedestrians

Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians, but it’s 72% more dangerous for black pedestrians. "Of the 20 worst metropolitan areas to walk in, nine are in the Sunshine State, with the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metroplex listed as the deadliest area in the country for pedestrians," according to an article in the Florida Courier.

While the state could benefit from better design and basic infrastructure, like crosswalks in numerous communities, these resources are particularly lacking in black communities. “Unnecessarily wide lanes encourage high speeds ‒ a major factor in the likelihood of surviving a collision ‒ and many streets are designed with wide turning lanes that allow cars to make right turns through crosswalks at high speeds,” according to the article. 

Beyond systematic funding issues, there is also research documenting the behavior of individual drivers: "Research by the University of Nevada has shown that drivers are significantly more likely to yield to a White pedestrian in a crosswalk than to a Black pedestrian."