Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

Rs Law Offices/Our blog/Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

26/09/2022

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

Five Helpful Facts About Dog Bites

Dog bites are not only relatively common, but they can be incredibly dangerous. If you’re bitten by a dog, you run the risk of the obvious wound to your flesh or bone, but you also are at risk for an infection, including tetanus and rabies. It can be helpful to know how to treat such […]

19/09/2022
Read more

Pedestrian Safety

For obvious reasons, there’s much more discussion out there about safe driving, or even safe bicycle riding, than there is about being a safe pedestrian. After all, it seems like we should just be able to walk safely down a street, and especially where pedestrians have right of way, walking seems like the safest option. […]

18/04/2022
Read more

Five Safety Products for Motorcycle Riders

Approximately ten percent of motor vehicle deaths in the United States can be attributed to motorcycleaccidents. Safe riding and defensive driving are important to all motor vehicle operations, of course, but making sure you’re stocked up on the right equipment to make your ride as safe as possible is critical to avoiding accidents or, in […]

15/08/2022
Read more

Tips for Avoiding Slip & Fall Accidents

Slipping and falling is hilarious in the movies and on TV, but when you enter the real world, slipsand falls are some of the most dangerous causes of personal injuries one can experience outside of a vehicle accident. Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and for many reasons – a simple spill, a loose […]

01/03/2023
Read more

Personal Injury – Why You Should Never Wait

We’ve all been told to “walk it off” before. Whether it’s for a pain, injury or just not feeling well, a lot of people will be there to tell you it’s probably nothing. And while it is important to keep a positive mindset, you should also pay attention to your body and not push yourself […]

26/04/2021
Read more

Driving on the 101

Living in California, there is a big focus on driving. With everyone rushing off to work, sitting in traffic, or getting around to see people, it can be easy to forget how much fun the open road can really be. As we swing towards the end of summer, you want to set aside some time […]

06/09/2021
Read more

The Most Common Types of Motorcycle Injury

The Most Common Types of Motorcycle Crashes According to the National Institute of Health, there are four main types of motorcycle crashes. Distinguishing these by category helps determine patterns that can later be used to help treat such accidents. The four main types are: The Most Common Injuries on a Motorcycle In the same study, […]

26/03/2022
Read more

Who is Liable in a Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycles provide less inherent safety than vehicles. As a result, motorcycle accidents have a greater impact on the motorcyclist than a motorist driving a car. According to the NHTSA motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die than car occupants in a crash per vehicle mile traveled.  Identifying the party at fault is critical to […]

14/12/2020
Read more

Ridesharing Services May Help Lower Drunk Driving Accidents

Research has been done in Chicago showing a correlation between ridesharing and drunk driving incidents. The study looks at the relationship between rideshare participants on the road and accidents over about a year’s time. It is no secret that drunk driving leads to catastrophic damages and injury on a regular basis in America. If you […]

21/02/2022
Read more

Personal Injury Law In California

In California, many individuals fall victim to wrongful diagnosis, automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, dog bites, catastrophic injuries, nursing home negligence, train accidents, and pedestrian accidents due to other people’s carelessness.   That is why the California personal injury law is in existence. It aims at protecting the moral and legal entitlements of those injured […]

12/04/2021
Read more

contact form

Get in touch

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.