The Research Center of Florida's Department of Transportation has published a comprehensive study aimed at improving pedestrian safety on Florida's state roads by identifying crash patterns and contributing factors at both the statewide and site-specific level, while also proposing potential countermeasures to reduce such crashes.  Specific objectives of the study were to:

• To perform a comprehensive review of existing pedestrian safety studies.
• To identify statewide pedestrian crash patterns and causes.
• To identify factors contributing to pedestrian injury severity.
• To identify and analyze pedestrian high crash locations at both signalized and non-signalized locations for crash causes and propose the potential countermeasures for these crash causes.

The study found that the majority of pedestrian crashes occurred in urban areas – especially in metropolitan areas—and on urban principal arterials.  However, fatal crashes were disproportionately high in rural areas.  The report indicates that the following actions or countermeasures can be effective in reducing pedestrian crash frequency and severity, especially at locations where pedestrians are expected to cross multi-lane roads with high travel speeds and heavy traffic:

• Provide sidewalks or, at a minimum, paved shoulders on both sides of the road.
• Ensure curb ramps are provided to make crossing easier for all pedestrians.
• Install lighting along the corridor.
• Install raised medians to act as pedestrian refuge areas.
• Install traffic calming measures, such as providing speed bumps, lane narrowing, etc.
• Require pedestrians to cross the roadway at designated crossing locations such as crosswalks.
• Develop pedestrian safety education campaigns for both pedestrians and drivers.