Distracted Driving Common Cause of West Palm Beach, FL Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian fatalities reach record highs in Florida and West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida - Pedestrian accidents have reached record levels nationwide as well as in Florida and West Palm Beach. And in each case, researchers believe distracted driving has contributed to this dramatic increase in pedestrian fatalities, especially in places like downtown West Palm Beach, according to a recent, in-depth analysis of the link between distracted driving and pedestrian accidents in West Palm Beach.

"The evidence is clear," West Palm Beach attorney David J. Glatthorn said recently. "Distracted drivers wreak havoc on the road and increasingly cause pedestrian accidents. Officials in West Palm Beach and nationwide all agree that districted driving has become a national crisis that needs to be addressed immediately."

Pedestrian fatalities reached a 20-year high nationwide in 2015, according to statistics compiled by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS, HLDI). The trend was similar in Florida and West Palm Beach during the same time period. As a result, officials in West Palm Beach have expressed alarm at the number of pedestrian accidents in downtown West Palm Beach, especially near the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

The analysis of pedestrian accidents and pedestrian fatalities primarily concerns West Palm Beach and also contains data for comparison purposes from Florida and nationwide. The 12-page, 3,400-word-long paper analyzes statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Governors Highway Safety Administration, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and a variety of news sources, including the Sun Sentinel, NPR News, Palm Beach Post and Orlando Sentinel.