ORLANDO, Fla. — The deadliest place in the United States for pedestrians — it’s a dubious distinction the Orlando metro area carried for years.
In 2021, the area ranked worst in the nation.
Five years later, Channel 9 anchor Alexa Lorenzo is looking at data that shows big improvement.
A recent report from Smart Growth America showed the region stretching from Sanford to Kissimmee has fallen to 25th on the list of the nation’s most dangerous places for pedestrians.
One Central Florida safety advocate told Lorenzo the progress being made is thanks to a team effort.
“We have law enforcement regularly participating in crosswalk enforcements. We have public works that are going back to the roads that were not designed for pedestrians — but designed for speed — and trying to fix the crosswalks, improve signage, improve striping,” Vince Dyer with Bike/Walk Central Florida said.
A clear example is on Orange Blossom Trail from I-4 to Holden Avenue. The corridor was once considered one of Florida’s deadliest roads for pedestrians.
WFTV was there when Florida Department of Transportation installed pedestrian hybrid beacons, raised crosswalks, and median fencing in 2023. Since then, officials said that stretch has seen one pedestrian fatality.
Last year, Channel 9 looked at similar safety upgrades near the University of Central Florida, where fencing is also playing a big role on Alafaya Trail and University Boulevard.
“It takes identifying the locations that need to be improved and then making a concerted effort in education, enforcement, and engineering all together — and then having that all over time come together to make those improvements,” Dyer said.
Across Central Florida, local governments have embraced Vision Zero initiatives, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths altogether.
Lorenzo has tracked the numbers over the past several years. The report ranked the Orlando metro area 8th in 2022, 18th in 2024, and 25th in 2025. It’s a sign that safety investments are paying off, but advocates say the work is far from finished.
“There’s a real possibility that with all the efforts, combined with vehicle technology improving, that we’re going to see zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050,” Dyer said.
Six Florida regions — including two in Central Florida — fared worse than Orlando in the most recent data.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville was the 11th most dangerous place for pedestrians; Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach was 14th.
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