Orlando Launches Campaign to Make Streets Safer for Latinos

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 2, 2012

As Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham and other local residents know all too well, our area is the most dangerous metropolitan area in the country for pedestrians, especially Latinos, who make up the vast majority of victims. In an effort to make area roadways safer for everyone, Orlando officials recently launched a new campaign named Best Foot Forward.

Linda Chair is the director of Best Foot Forward, a coalition dedicated to raising awareness about pedestrian safety and reducing the number of pedestrian accidents here.

“We’re going to start today before another person gets hurt," Chair said recently.

She reported that an average of one pedestrian each week dies on Orlando roadways, with the vast majority of them of Latino heritage. She also reported that an average of two people are struck and injured in pedestrian accidents every day in our area, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Orlando pedestrian accidents kill around 45 people each year and injure 730 more. According to the NHTSA, 557 people were struck and killed by vehicles while trying to cross the street between 2000 and 2009.

Capt. Angelo Nieves is the communication director for the Orlando Police Department and also a member of the new coalition. He said that the coalition would be targeting Latinos initially in order to raise awareness in the community.

"It’s important for our Hispanic community to be alert about this effort to teach them to cross the streets safely," he said recently.

It is not known why Latinos comprise 16.3 percent of all pedestrian accident victims in the U.S. each year. Many cite language problems, lack of familiarity with traffic and signage in this country and other factors, but NHTSA studies have proven inconclusive.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has also joined the coalition. "We’re known as the No. 1 tourist destination," he said recently, and "now we also want to be known as the safest city in the country for pedestrians."

Orlando pedestrian accident lawyer James O. Cunningham applauds and supports any efforts that make area roadways safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and everyone else. He has helped pedestrian accident victims receive the fair and just compensation they deserve since 1977 and has seen pedestrian accident rates go from bad to worse. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident and you have questions about your legal options, call 888-425-2004 today to schedule a free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.