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. Unfortunately, you can’t count on your surroundings to protect you.
In 2017, there were 5,977 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents in the United States, which averages out to about one death every eighty-eight minutes. On top of this, more than 100,000 pedestrians with nonfatal crash-related injuries were treated in emergency departments. Pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to be killed in a car crash than the occupants of the vehicle.
Yes, for the obvious – drunk drivers – as well as for the perhaps less obvious – inebriated pedestrians. Nearly half of crashes that have resulted in the death of a pedestrian involved either the pedestrian or the driver having imbibed alcohol before the accident. One-third of crashes fatal to pedestrians involved an inebriated pedestrian with a blood alcohol concentration of at least .08 grams per deciliter. Seventeen percent involved a driver with the same blood alcohol concentration.
Obviously, no one should drive drunk, or even buzzed, or high. Pedestrians who have been imbibing should take a cab or rideshare.
Of all pedestrian deaths from accidents, twenty percent were identified as people over 65 years of age. Of the children under 15 years of age who were killed in traffic accidents in 2017, one in every five were pedestrians. Pedestrians are vulnerable as it is, but falling into these other two categories also poses an additional risk. Keep an eye out for vulnerable pedestrians if you’re walking, and if you’re driving, it should go without saying, but keep an eye out for any and all pedestrians.
Speeding is not just a problem for the driver of a car and doesn’t always just result in an inconvenient ticket and fine. The likelihood of a pedestrian being hit by a car increases, the higher the vehicle is traveling, and this also translates to the injury’s severity.
Avoiding certain areas can statistically help your chances, so it might help to know that the majority of pedestrian deaths occur in urban areas, at night. Typically these are also at non-intersection locations, so be sure to cross at designated crosswalks, for your safety, if nothing else.
The responsibility for your own safety, while it is technically in the hands of others, must lie on your shoulders. Staying aware of your surroundings is always helpful, anyway, regardless of your mode of transport, and as a pedestrian, it’s critical to ensure you aren’t the victim of someone else who has decided not to pay attention to the road or to those around them. If you’re on your feet, stay on your toes.
blogs
Car Crashes and Pedestrians in LA
Every year, we check over grim statistics about car accidents, fatalities, damages, and injuries. We always hope that the number will go down, that we will have learned something from the previous years. Unfortunately, though, that is not always the case. But that doesn’t mean that it is not worth it to try. Just knowing […]
Benefits of a Dashboard Camera
As we all know, the streets and highways of California can be a wild place and accidents can happen. Collisions can range from disorienting to terrifying, and reconstructing the events around a crash can be a challenge in some cases. While there are more street and traffic light cameras than ever before, obviously not every angle of […]
Common Causes of Car Accidents – and Ways to Avoid Them
Car accidents are an increasingly common source of injuries and loss of property and life. Every year, there are estimated to be over six million car accidents, in the US alone. We drive everywhere, and even short distances pose a hazard to drivers, as well as pedestrians and people on bicycles. The loss of property […]
Winter Driving Safety Tips
Having your winter tires installed on your car and packing a windshield scraper is a good start to being prepared to drive in the winter, but as the cold weather gets harsher, the driving conditions get worse. With this comes the tendency for some people to overcorrect or not know how to stop properly, or […]
Workman’s Compensation and COVID in California
This past year has redefined a lot of things we usually take for granted. We’ve experienced new definitions of work, and even health, in general. Between telecommuting, staggered shifts, and widespread relocation, the face of business has changed rapidly. We have seen the rise of “essential workers” and “heroes” among our everyday neighbors and friends. […]
Tips for Pedestrian Safety
We all know that walking to work is good for your health. The benefits of fresh air, increased heart rate, and the relaxing effects of movement are well documented. It’s healthy to walk anywhere! But, what about the risks? When you hear medical advice, suggesting that you walk more, you rarely hear about the dangers […]
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 […]
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycles may be a reliably safe mode of transportation but, as in so many accidents out in the world, the problem is not often with the mode of transportation you’re in, but how the person who hits you is traveling. Every year, more than 50,000 bicyclists are injured in collisions with automobiles. Too few of […]
5 Things Cyclists Should Do After a Bike Accident in California
Biking, especially on a highway, is a fun and an adrenaline-filled way to keep fit and explore what California has to offer. At the same time, it’s also a dangerous activity as the chances of being rear-ended by a motorist in California are pretty high. Unfortunately, when a bicycle accident happens, most cyclists often have […]
Hotels and Personal Injuries
Everyone is looking to travel right about now. Summer is getting into full swing, and whether you are looking to see a distant land or reacquaint yourself with familiar faces, you’re probably planning your next big adventure, too. Besides the normal precautions, like ensuring home security while you’re away, or booking some travel insurance, you […]
contact form
