Another local pedestrian has died as a new study ranks the Sarasota metro area No. 15 among the nation’s deadliest metro areas for pedestrian fatalities.
The 2026 “Dangerous by Design” report published by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition ranked states and metro areas using pedestrian fatality data from 2020 to 2024 and argued that many streets across the country prioritize vehicle speed over pedestrian safety.
The report begins with a quote from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Jonathan Morrison, who claimed that “American roads are safer.”
That comes despite 39,254 people being killed in crashes in 2024, including 7,080 people struck and killed while walking. While pedestrian fatalities declined 6 percent from 2022 to 2024, the report argues that “slightly less deadly is not the same thing as safe” and notes pedestrian deaths increased 72 percent between 2009 and 2024.
The study was named “Dangerous by Design” because of the argument that American streets are built to prioritize speed and convenience of motor vehicles, and not the safety of others who use them. Due to the street design, driver behavior is subconsciously influenced to not always consider the safety of those around them.
The report’s top 20 most dangerous metro areas for pedestrians lists cities from across the country, but Florida has six cities in the list. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area ranks No. 8, with North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota at No. 15.
Other Florida metro areas on the list include Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Jacksonville and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach.
Florida ranks No. 5 in the deadliest states for pedestrians.
The report indicates that people over the age of 65 account for 23 percent of all pedestrian fatalities, despite making up 18 percent of the population. In Sarasota County, 38 percent of residents are over age 65, compared with 29 percent in Manatee County, figures that may provide local context because older adults account for a disproportionate share of pedestrian fatalities nationally.
The study suggests the need to acknowledge that personal vehicles cannot be the only means of transportation, especially for older Americans. Sarasota and Manatee Counties adopted a long-range public transit plan worth $2 billion in 2025, but Sarasota County bus routes were cut in 2026 due to budget concerns.
The study also found that 57% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on state-owned roads in 2024, and while other countries made efforts to improve road safety, the United States has gone in the opposite direction. For example, between 2014 and 2024, Japan reduced pedestrian fatalities by 30%, while pedestrian fatalities in the United States increased by 45%.
As of June 15, the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles crash dashboard has listed 87 pedestrian crashes and four pedestrian fatalities in Sarasota County in 2026. Manatee County has had 100 pedestrian crashes and seven pedestrian fatalities.
Florida has had 5,839 pedestrian crashes and 233 pedestrian fatalities in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota ranked among nation’s deadliest metro areas for pedestrians
Reporting by Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
