PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Terrifying new numbers reveal how dangerous it is to drive, walk and bike in Pinellas County. On average, 70 crashes happen every single day.
“Non-stop chaos," that's how Michael Dunnigan describes driving in Pinellas County.
“It’s just a big mess out there," his coworker Erik landers added.
Forward Pinellas tallied up a whopping 30,115 crashes in 2016 alone.
“That is an awful number," driver Lois Eannel exclaimed.
In 2016, 4,655 people were hurt and 107 died on roads across Pinellas County.
For Susan Watson, it’s a danger she feels daily while treking miles along US 19 with her guide dog and motorized wheelchair.
“They’re not looking for the disabled," she said. “Recently, a car hit me and toppled me over and my groceries went into oncoming traffic.”
The worst spot: US-19 and Curlew road. It's the intersection your most likely to get hit in, according to Forward Pinellas. U-S 19 is also the worst spot for drunk and distracted drivers.
So what’s being done to protect you? There are three solutions in the works right now. Police in Largo and Clearwater are cracking down on pedestrians darting across the street..even handing them tickets!
FDOT is looking into decreasing the speed limit on main roadways and just today Florida lawmakers filed a bill, allowing officers to pull you over for texting and driving.
Drivers desperately hope those solutions help.
“It makes you nervous to get on the road but we all need to go to work and get to where we’re going," Landers added.
To read the full report from Forward Pinellas, click here: http://forwardpinellas.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Countywide_Trends_and_Conditions_Report.pdf
