There is plenty for you to see and experience in St. Petersburg, Florida. Little wonder that U.S. News named St. Petersburg one of the top 20 places to visit in the Sunshine State. Whether you enjoy outdoor activities or prefer to tour one of the city’s several museums, you will find what you are looking for in St. Petersburg.
Although St. Petersburg is open and welcoming for tourists who wish to partake of all the city and region have to offer, visiting St. Petersburg is not a completely risk-free venture. As is true with any other city, there are ways that you or your loved ones can suffer an injury.
Thankfully, there are ways to protect yourself and your family while visiting St. Petersburg, thereby reducing the risk of injury. If you are injured in St. Petersburg due to another party’s negligence, contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers to learn about your rights and legal options.
Three Ways To Protect Yourself While In St. Petersburg
Personal injury lawyers speak with and represent people who have been hurt in various circumstances. If anyone can provide practical advice about how to stay safe, it is an experienced personal injury lawyer familiar with the hidden and obvious dangers in the city. Some ways you can do this, according to a personal injury lawyer, include the following:
1. Be Aware You Are Near Water
St. Petersburg is a coastal city, meaning it is not hard to find water. Water belongs in the ocean and in waterways, but you can also find it gathered into puddles on walkways around the beach. These patches of moisture can make piers, boardwalks, and other surfaces extremely and surprisingly slick and lead to an unexpected slip and fall injury.
Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of concussions and traumatic injuries. Aside from trauma to your head and brain, you can also sprain or break your ankle, leg, hip, or arm bones. If you fall on your back, this could result in damage to your spinal cord and spine. Any of these injuries can affect your mobility, ability to work, and quality of life.
You can reduce the risk of slipping and falling by wearing appropriate shoes when not on the beach. Your shoes or other footwear should support your feet and ankles and not slide off. They should also have tread to help reduce the chance of you slipping. Finally, if you notice puddles or other accumulated water on the walkway, it is best to avoid stepping in them if possible.
2. Protect Against Pinellas County Car Accidents
St. Petersburg sits within Pinellas County, one of the more populated counties in Florida. In any given year, the county sees between 14,000 and 17,000 traffic crashes. About 115 people, on average, lose their lives in these crashes per year, and approximately 8,000 others are hurt in some way, including brain injuries, broken bones, and damage to internal organs.
Motorists are not the only ones who are at risk of sustaining an injury on or near Florida’s roads. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also found that in Pinellas County in 2021:
- There were 546 bicycle accidents that hurt 504 bicyclists and killed 16 more
- The county’s 433 motorcycle accidents left 383 bikers injured and 29 dead
- Sixty-one pedestrians lost their lives, and 387 were hurt in a total of 499 accidents
- A total of 176 other non-motorist crashes occurred, leaving one person dead and 38 injured
Just because you may be visiting the picturesque beaches of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area does not mean you can let your guard down when you are around other vehicles. No matter whether you are traveling by car, bike, or some other mode of transportation, you should exercise caution by remaining aware of your surroundings.
Other safety tips that can help prevent a roadway or highway accident include the following:
- Obey all traffic laws, traffic lights, and road signs you encounter
- Do not travel in excess of the posted limit
- Do not operate any vehicle, even a bicycle, if you are intoxicated, impaired, or too tired to do so safely
- Be careful using your cell phone or another device to navigate while you are walking or your vehicle is in motion
Lastly, if you do happen to experience a car wreck or pedestrian accident, you should visit a local hospital in St. Petersburg to find out whether you suffered any injuries. If you did, starting a course of treatment early can be crucial in making a full or near-full recovery.
3. Know The Dangerous Neighborhoods Around St. Petersburg
Finally, you can protect yourself and your family while in St. Petersburg by familiarizing yourself with areas that should be avoided. The areas where there is a higher incidence rate of crime, as identified by CrimeGrade.org, include areas around and immediately to the west of Albert Whitteed Airport and the Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.
Additionally, the neighborhoods immediately to the north and to the south of 1st Avenue N and 1st Avenue S, as they run west from the Albert Whitteed Airport, are areas where you should exercise greater caution.
The western and northern parts of the city are generally safer, but there is a neighborhood between the two airports that stands out as a place of greater crime. Mainlands Boulevard services this neighborhood, which encompasses the Mainlands Golf Course. The surrounding neighborhoods experience an average or better grade when it comes to the rate of crime.
If you find yourself needing to travel to these areas, ensure you know where you are going and that you park in well-lit areas. Do not leave valuables in sight inside your car, and lock your vehicle doors if you do travel on foot. Where possible, stay on major roads where there are businesses and steady traffic.
Take Your Safety In St. Petersburg Into Your Own Hands
A trip to St. Petersburg can leave you and your family with a lifetime of memories. By exercising some precautions and giving consideration to what you plan to do while in town, you can help ensure those memories are fun and happy and not memories of a serious injury accident.
Nicola Holder 
Rhydian Choi