Have you had a loved one injured or killed in a pedestrian accident? According to a national safety coalition, Nashville is among the most dangerous metro areas in the country for pedestrian fatalities.
A study, performed by Smart Growth America, an advocacy group on pedestrian and urban design issues, looked at the number of pedestrian deaths and how often people walk in those cities. According to The Tennessean, the Nashville metro area had 210 deaths between 2003 and 2012, ranking it the 15th most dangerous area in the country for pedestrians.
In addition, Memphis was ranked the fifth worst area in the country, behind four metro areas in Florida.
“We are allowing an epidemic of pedestrian fatalities, brought on by streets designed for speed and not safety, to take nearly 5,000 lives a year — a number that increased six percent between 2011 and 2012,” Roger Millar, an official with Smart Growth, said in a news release, according to The Tennessean.
The group said it hopes to improve pedestrian safety through “better policies and safer designs, such as more sidewalks, high-visibility crosswalks, refuge islands and reduced traffic speeds.”
The group reported that in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin metro area, there was an average of 1.25 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. Additionally, the group calculated something known as the pedestrian danger index (PDI), which gives an indication of the likelihood of a person on foot being struck by a vehicle and killed.
Nashville’s PDI was 100.79 from 2003 to 2012, while the national average was 52.2.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY LOVED ONE IS INJURED OR KILLED IN A NASHVILLE PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT?
There have been a number of large profile pedestrian accidents in the news recently. In January, a student was killed in Murfreesboro while crossing a street near Middle Tennessee State University in a wheelchair.
Aside from death, these accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries like paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and severe burns. In most cases, injuries are brutal, as the weight of a vehicle carries a potentially deadly force when encountering an individual.
Our personal injury attorney is dedicated to helping individuals and families throughout the Volunteer State who have been affected by the negligence of a driver on the road. If you have been injured or had a loved one killed in a pedestrian accident, contact us today.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
Davis’ Words of Wisdom: Has your loved one been injured or killed in a Nashville pedestrian accident? Put your life back together. Call us at (615) 866-3938.
Source: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/dangerous-by-design-2014/dangerous-by-design-2014.pdf