West Palm Beach Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at Gonzalez Cartwright, P.A., Comment on Report about Pedestrian Safety
West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) December 09, 2014 -- Commenting on a recent WUSF News article detailing efforts by the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) to narrow traffic lanes to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, attorney Charles Cartwright said today that state legislators and drivers need to work together to better accommodate pedestrians and prevent accidents throughout the state.
Cartwright, an experienced attorney at Gonzalez Cartwright, P.A., based his comments on the WUSF News article, “Florida DOT Looks To Trim Lanes To Increase Pedestrian, Cyclist Safety,” published Nov. 18. The article details efforts made by the Florida DOT to prevent pedestrian accidents in the wake of a 2011 report finding numerous Florida cities to rank among the most deadly for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“In 2011, Smart Growth America’s ‘Dangerous by Design’ report served as a call to action for state legislators to take a closer look at how and why pedestrian accidents happen,” Cartwright said. “Every step necessary needs to be taken to ensure that drivers adhere to the speed limit and safely share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists, even if it means changing the fundamental design of the roads we use every day.”
According to WUSF News, the Florida DOT adopted a “complete streets” policy in September to acknowledge the role that road design plays in both speeding and pedestrian accidents. The article contends that while the Florida DOT has designed high-volume city streets and highways in a similar fashion, change is necessary to prevent speeding and other reckless behavior.
The standard width of a single traffic lane in Florida cities is 12 feet. According to the article, the Florida DOT will launch an investigation to determine whether a number of high-capacity urban roads throughout the state may benefit from decreasing lane width for drivers to 10 or 11 feet to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Florida pedestrians and cyclists have a right to share the road with passenger and commercial vehicles,” said West Palm Beach personal injury attorney Adriana Gonzalez, a shareholder in Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. “They shouldn’t have to worry about whether they’ll be hit by a driver due to a lack of space to safely walk or cycle. Some road designs may encourage drivers to travel at higher rates of speed than the road allows.”
Gonzalez said people injured in Florida accidents through no fault of their own should seek the advice of legal counsel. An attorney can hold the careless or reckless driver accountable and pursue compensation for the victim.
About Gonzalez Cartwright, P.A.
Charles Cartwright obtained his law degree from the University of Miami in 1993 and has been practicing law in South Florida for over 20 years. Well versed in all steps of the personal injury process, Cartwright is an AV-rated attorney who has received the highest rating from Martindale Hubbell.
Adriana Gonzalez obtained her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida, and is the current president of the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association. Gonzalez has appeared on Spanish language television and radio stations discussing legal issues important to the Hispanic community. In 2014, Super Lawyers named her one of Florida’s Rising Stars for her work in personal injury law. It was the third year in a row Gonzalez received the honor. She also was elected to the board of the Palm Beach County Justice Association in 2013.
For more information on what to do if you’ve been injured in a car accident in South Florida, call (561) 533-0345.
Gonzalez Cartwright, P.A. is located at 813 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth FL 33460. Visit http://www.gonzalezcartwright.com
Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, +1 (413) 650-0593, [email protected]
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