Unsettling Statistics on Pedestrian Accidents
Whether you walk close to traffic on a daily basis, occasionally walk alongside the road or worry about the safety of your children while they walk around, it is vital to understand the many different risks that pedestrians face. Traffic accidents involving pedestrians are especially likely to result in significant injuries or even the loss of life, and these accidents keep happening far too often.
Drivers collide with pedestrians for a variety of reasons, such as those who get behind the wheel while drunk, use their phone on the road, drive too fast or fail to keep an eye out for those walking near traffic or trying to cross the road.
The Consequences of Pedestrian Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over the course of 2019, 76,000 pedestrians suffered injuries in traffic accidents across the U.S., based on estimates. During 2019, pedestrian accidents also claimed the lives of more than 6,200 pedestrians. Looking at these statistics in a different way, accidents on the road claimed a pedestrian’s life every 85 minutes in 2019.
Pedestrian Accident Risk Factors
Pedestrian accidents occur for a host of reasons. Sometimes, drivers fail to yield at crosswalks or fail to exhibit caution when driving during periods of poor visibility. Passing vehicles at crossing locations, driving under the influence, failing to respect the speed limit and backing up in a dangerous manner also cause many pedestrian accidents.
If a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent driver has left you or a loved one with serious injuries, you need to review your options right away and hold them answerable.