People should be able to trust that if they are traveling by foot lawfully that they will avoid suffering an injury or losing their life in a traffic accident. However, that is unfortunately not always the case. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published some eye-opening statistics based on 2012 data concerning pedestrian accidents in the United States, including:
- A pedestrian is injured every seven minutes and killed every two hours in a traffic accident in the US;
- Per trip, passenger vehicle occupants are 1.5 times less likely to die in an automobile accident than pedestrians;
- On average, more than one out of every five children between 5 and 15 years old who is the victim of a deadly auto wreck is a pedestrian;
- Older adults aged 65 and older account for 9 percent of pedestrian accident injury victims and 20 percent of pedestrian accident fatalities.
What Can Be Done to Better Protect Pedestrians?
While there are laws and other preventative measures in place to help keep the roads safe for pedestrians, those on foot are still in danger of getting injured or killed due to another’s negligence. Therefore, pedestrians should always take extra precautions, such as:
- If possible, pedestrians should only cross the street at designated locations, like crosswalks and intersections.
- At night or during inclement weather, pedestrians should use a flashlight and/or wear bright/reflective clothing to ensure they are visible to motorists.
- If a sidewalk is available, pedestrians should always walk on the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, pedestrians should walk on the shoulder of the road facing traffic.
Sadly, precautions and the law can only do so much to protect pedestrians. If you or someone you love is the victim of a pedestrian accident, you should talk to a personal injury attorney about your situation. An attorney will be able to explain what rights you have and the best options available to you moving forward.
In addition, if pursuing a legal case is in your best interest, the sooner you contact an injury lawyer the better, because every second you wait, precious evidence could be lost. However, once you have an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer representing you, you can rest assured that he or she will work tirelessly to bring those who did you harm to justice.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33
Source: https://cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Pedestrian_safety/