The video in the attached article from Wink News hits the nail squarely on the head in an opening comment: “Troopers are working to keep you safe on a dangerous stretch of roadway in Fort Myers…”
Whether it was planned or accidental, the TV channel has identified the real rogue in this situation — the dreadful design, in safety terms, of the road itself.
It is all-too-easy for people to point at the pedestrians and cyclists as being in a position to reduce the number of crashes and deaths, but this is tantamount to victim-blaming.
This, in turn, means that the FHP is trying to pick up the pieces for somebody else’s inadequacies and mistakes.
Undoubtedly, the real fault lies with the city. Palm Beach Boulevard needs a major overhaul. One section of it was shown with no sidewalk and it is very clear indeed that there are far too few adequate crosswalks.
Adequate crosswalks in this context would mean separate, signal-controlled crossings with a very significant safety island in the middle, so that people can cross in two stages. It also means fencing to stop pedestrians crossing where they shouldn’t…. and oh yes this IS possible; many other countries use these techniques already, to very good effect — but sadly not the USA.
You may view the video in the link below:
FHP troopers teach road safety to pedestrians along Palm Beach Blvd