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Florida is the most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians with over 700 killed in 2019 alone. Your signature matters and could contribute to the enactment of legislation that could save hundreds of lives each year in the great state of Florida!

Tampa Bay, Florida is one of the most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians and bicyclists in the United States.  On average, one pedestrian and one bicyclist suffer injuries or death each day in our region. Statistically, more pedestrians die in Tampa Bay area car accidents than in most other major cities. 

Motorists are unfamiliar with PHBs (Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons) and may be unfamiliar with the meaning of the flashing yellow lights. Drivers have learned at an early age that flashing yellow lights mean to slow down and use caution, not to stop.   

Additionally, pedestrians may also mistakenly assume that flashing yellow lights will give enough visibility to motorists to protect them while they safely cross. Pedestrians and bicyclists should only proceed though crosswalks being fully attentive to approaching vehicles throughout the entire crossing and should proceed cautiously with the anticipation that motorists will fail to yield despite the duty to do so.      

Florida should enact new traffic regulations to require RED flashing lights for drivers to stop and then safely proceed after yielding to pedestrians and bicyclists in PHB (Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon) crosswalks.  Please assist us in re-introducing this legislature.  This would require the FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) to ask the federal government for permission to replace yellow flashing lights at crosswalks with red ones, which the federal government currently does not allow. 

There were two bills that went through the legislative process (HB 113 and SB 1412) to make these changes at PHB crosswalks, but they died in appropriations.  To make this important safety change in the state of Florida, new bills will need to be reintroduced with a new number and begin its journey through the legislative process.  Let’s collaborate with lawmakers, municipal and county planners, and traffic engineers to make our community safe!

Perenich Law Injury Attorneys