Although motor vehicles are very reliable and often necessary, they cannot always take you where you need to go. In some cases, it is much more convenient to walk or ones’ only option in certain areas. Thus, being a pedestrian is a fairly common occurrence for those living in Settle and other cities across the nation. While sidewalks, crosswalks and signals are designed with the safety of pedestrians in mind, the reality is that this does not protect walkers from negligent or distracted drivers. Thus, auto-pedestrian accidents could occur.
Based on a current study, research found that car accidents involving pedestrians are on the rise and are becoming more deadly. Data shows that since 2009, which was the all time low for pedestrian accidents, fatalities from pedestrian car accidents have risen 46 percent. Researchers also found that most pedestrian accidents were likely to occur in urban and suburban areas after dark and far from intersections.
When looking at this problem as a whole, some official claim that poor road designs could contribute to the rising accidents. Because there aren’t enough safe options to cross the street, pedestrians are often forced to choose alternative means to cross the road. When looking at the rise in fatalities, researchers found that many of these fatal collisions involved vans and SUVs. Because of the design of the front of these vehicles, fatal injuries are more common.
Despite design flaws in the roads and vehicles, pedestrian accidents occur because of negligence. While some of these do occur because of a pedestrian’s own negligence, many of these crashes occur because drivers fail to drive a safe speed and remain aware of their surroundings. Distractions are a major contributor to these collisions resulting in serious and fatal injuries.
Those involve din a pedestrian accident should take the time to understand their situation and rights afforded to them. This might mean seeking legal recourses through a personal injury action. This civil claim not only helps hold a negligent driver accountable but also helps with the collection of compensation for losses and damages.