5 Causes Of Pedestrian Accidents
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
When the weather is sunny and you don't have too far to go, it's nice to be able to walk and enjoy the day. For some walking is even a daily form of exercise to keep you feeling good and healthy. Though traveling by foot might be a healthier option, it may not always be a safer one.
Pedestrian-automobile collisions are more common than you may like to think. A lot of pedestrian accidents fly under the radar because many choose not to report their accidents to the police. Regardless of that fact, it has been reported that 70,000 pedestrians are injured and more than 4,000 die each year from automobile collisions.
So why are pedestrian accidents so common? A pedestrian accident can happen for a number of reasons. Though most root back to a motorist's neglect to watch out for the pedestrian, it can be a little more complicated than that.
Here are some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents.
- • Unmarked Crosswalks Intersections are where the majority of vehicle-pedestrian collisions occur. With the help of signaled crosswalks, these collisions are dramatically reduced. However, not all intersections have a signaled crosswalk, making it very challenging for both pedestrian and motorist to know when they can or can not cross. Clearly marked pathways are also very important for a pedestrian's safety. Often a driver will be so focused on finding a parking spot or pathway that they neglect to look for pedestrians walking by. Pathways that are clearly marked make it much easier for both pedestrian and motorist to know where to watch out for or avoid.
- •Left-Hand Turns Even signaled crosswalks aren't immune to pedestrian collisions. Left hand turns are three times more likely to hit a pedestrian than right hand turns because it forces both parties to look elsewhere. In these events, the pedestrian will most likely be looking straight ahead while the drivers are busy negotiating the intersection. This can cause both of them to be unaware of each other until it is too late.
- • Electronics Though texting and other gadgets have become a major cause of car accidents in general, pedestrians are also partly to blame. It was found in a recent study that 8 percent of pedestrian accidents occurred while the victim was using cellphones, musical devices, and other electronics. This causes the victim to be unaware of their surroundings and unable to notice nearby vehicles.
- • Dark Clothing With 70 percent of all accidents happening at night, it is no wonder that dark clothes are partially to blame. This is very crucial in areas with poor street lighting that make it near impossible for the driver to see you trying to cross the street. If you must walk around at night, try to wear bright clothing so that you'll be easy to see. Some even recommend bringing a mini flashlight in order to be more easily spotted in the dark.
- • Alcohol Substance use isn't just dangerous for the driver, but the pedestrian as well. This is why its no surprise that most accidents occur during the weekend at night more than any other time. In a study, they found that 37 percent of fatally injured pedestrians had alcohol in their system. Even being a little buzzed can hurt your ability to make judgments or your awareness of others, including motorists. However, intoxicated drivers do make up for about 13 percent of hit pedestrians-motorist collisions as well.