These Are The 10 Most Dangerous U.S. Destination Cities For Walking

Walking is great for the environment and your waistline, but the latest data suggests that you might be safer driving in some U.S. cities. Our friends at Smart Growth America have released a study ranking the 104 largest U.S. metro areas in terms of how dangerous they are for pedestrians. The researchers looked at the proportion of local commuters who walk to work compared with the number of pedestrian deaths. The results are pretty alarming.

Bad news for the Sunshine State: seven of the top 10 most dangerous cities for walking are in Florida.

The study also found a troubling connection between income and pedestrian safety; it seems the higher the median income in an area, the less likely it is someone will be struck and killed by a car. Adults 65 years or older are 50 percent more likely than younger people to be killed while walking.

The study blames street design and poor sidewalk and crosswalk maintenance in lower-income areas for the higher rates of pedestrian deaths amongst low-earning and minority groups.

Here are the top 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians in America:

1. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

2. Bakersfield, CA

3. Memphis, Tennessee/Mississippi/Arkansas

4. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

5. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

6. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

7. Jackson, Mississippi

8. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

9. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

10. Jacksonville, FL

If you’re visiting any of these spots soon, be sure to look both ways before crossing the street! Of course, as long as you keep alert and are aware of your surroundings, you ought to be safe enough; the best thing to do while walking at night is making sure you're wearing brightly-colored clothing and stick to sidewalks and crosswalks.

You may not be able to prevent someone else from driving like a madman, but you can anticipate that someone might and take reasonable precautions from there.

Is your city one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. for pedestrians? To see the full study, check out the Dangerous By Design page on Smart Growth America.

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