Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

Law/Nuestro blog/Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

29/05/2024

The pedestrian fatality rate in Arizona is more than double that of the national average, at 1.61 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. Most of these are male pedestrians, killed at a rate of almost three times as much as female pedestrians. Keeping pedestrians safe is everyone’s job, but as a pedestrian, you should understand the realities of the dangers you face in order to stay safe.




What are the Reasons for Pedestrian Accidents?

Many of the primary reasons for pedestrian accidents are, unfortunately, due to poor driving. As much as it is a pedestrian’s job to stay aware of their surroundings, vehicles will always be faster, more powerful and able to surprise you. The biggest reasons cited for pedestrian accidents are:

  • Distracted driving
  • Speeding
  • Failure to yield right of way at crosswalks to
    pedestrians
  • Ignoring or disobeying traffic signals or signs
  • Failure to signal while turning
  • Disregarding weather conditions
  • Disregarding traffic conditions
  • Driving while under the influence

Who is Most at Risk?

In Arizona alone, over 150 people each day are injured in auto accidents, totaling over 55,000 injuries per year. Among these, of course, are many pedestrians. The most at risk among them are:

  • Children age 14 and under
  • Older adults
  • Male pedestrians
  • Pedestrians under the influence of alcohol or
    drugs

Where and How is the Safest to Walk?

It is always safest to walk in well-lit areas which are specifically marked for pedestrian use. This ensures the safest passage and the easiest-to-see indicators for all parties. This includes footpaths and pedestrian bridges.

If you are stuck where there is traffic, you should walk facing traffic so that you can best keep an eye out of anyone coming in you direction so you have the best chance of avoiding an accident. Use crosswalks, and wait for the crossing signal when available

What Are Other Safe Walking Tips?

Pedestrian safety should be everyone’s priority, but there are certainly some tips we could all use, especially as technology changes and distracts us all a little bit more. Using certain electronics is illegal while driving, but pedestrians should use caution, too.

  • Don’t look at your phone, and consider not
    listening, as well. You need all of your faculties about you when walking
    around
  • High visibility is key: Wear light clothing and,
    if you’re going to be out at night, wear reflective clothing, bands or tape so
    that you can be avoided
  • Let people know where you are going. This is
    always a good safety tip, walking or otherwise, but especially helpful if your
    walking trip will take some time

Keep Your Eyes Out

It should go without saying, but: Always look both ways. Always make sure drivers are following signals and traffic rules. Don’t be caught in an accident because someone else didn’t care.

Summary

You should always keep an eye out for yourself while you are walking, and wear high-visibility clothing if you can. If you are the victim of an accident, be sure to seek medical attention, file a police report, and hold onto all documentation for when you consult
with an attorney.

blogs

You might like

Winter Slip and Fall Accident Tips

Whether your winter is cold and snowy or just plain cold, winter is a time when slipand fall accidents are increasingly likely. Cold, wind, ice and snow are problems on their own and when they combine, it’s a perfect storm of injury possibilities. Typically, these conditions result in bruises and bumps, but there’s always the […]

29/05/2024
Read more

More Apps for Increased Rideshare Safety

If every ride you take is just you and an unknown driver, it doesn’t hurt to look into your safety options. And while any unsure situation could potentially turn dangerous, you can do yourself a favor by finding helpful methods for letting people know where you are and where you’re going to be, and generally […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Pedestrian Safety in Cold Weather

When it’s cold outside, people drive worse than they did before. If you’re a pedestrian, you need to take extra precautions during the cold weather and, if you’re driving, you need to keep an extra eye out for pedestrians who are even harder to see, especially if snow is lowering your visibility. Safety is always […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Products for Increased Bicycle Safety

Bicycle accidents are unfortunately increasingly common in both California and Arizona, causing many to seek damages to compensate for their losses. Defensive driving and being aware of your surroundings are the best tools for safety, as is making sure your bicycle is properly maintained, making sure to wear a helmet, and obeying all street laws […]

05/06/2024
Read more

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles are specialist machines. They require their own licenses, training and a specific discipline for driving safely. Learning to drive defensively on a motorcycle can be more difficult than doing so in an automobile. Each year, there are 2,907 total motorcycle crashes, 2,274 of which result in injuries and 156 of which result in some […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Apps for Increased Road Safety

Staying safe on the road is more important as more and more cities become increasingly dependent on automobile transportation. Increasedroad safety is about diligence and attentive driving, but there are also ways to “gamify” or in other ways incentivize safe driving, through smartphone apps. Here are five apps designed to keep you less distracted and […]

29/05/2024
Read more

The Most Unsafe Era for Pedestrians in 40 Years

Pedestrian safety is of utmost importance right now, and not just because pedestrians legally have the right of way in most places in the United States. Being asafer pedestrian is always key to avoiding injuries by being aware of ones surroundings and avoiding distractions, but as it stands, North Americans are not stemming the tide […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Clearing Up Workers Compensation Misconceptions

If we hear the term “workers comp,” we probably feel like we understand the basics – if you get hurt on the job, you file for workers comp, you get time off to heal and hopefully a little extra something along with your salary to make it all easier. In an ideal world, sure, it […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in the United States

Whether due to size, or footprint of the motorcycle, or sheer stability, or a combination of these factors, motorcycles are much more likely to be involved in an accident than other automobiles. Certainly, in some cases, this is a visibility issue as well, with many drivers of other automobiles not looking in their blind spots […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Things to Know About Bike Accidents in Arizona

Bicycling may be the way to go for sustainable transportation, but that’s all the more reason why anyone in Arizona should make sure to practice basic bicycle safety. Over 47 million people in the United States ride bicycles, and that number will likely increase as some urban centers move away from fossil fuels and even […]

06/06/2024
Read more

formulario de contacto

Póngase en contacto

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from RS Law Offices. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. View our Privacy Policy.