The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) just released a report that shows pedestrian deaths on streets and sidewalks are up by 11 percent from the previous year, with nearly 6,000 pedestrians killed in motor vehicle accidents throughout 2016. This marks the largest increase in pedestrian deaths in one year ever recorded and the biggest number of fatalities in more than 20 years.
Jonathan Adkins, Executive Director of the GHSA, noted that the trend is alarming and goes against the commonly-held notion that traffic deaths are going down because cars come with more automatic safety features now than ever before. Instead, the director said, the association is seeing the opposite, with both cyclist and pedestrian fatalities rising across the country.
While traffic deaths did go up by six percent across the nation in 2016, according to the National Safety Council, experts did not expect pedestrian fatalities to outpace other fatalities related to traffic the way that they did overall.
The causes of pedestrian deaths in traffic incidents vary, but the leading causes are the failure to yield of a motor vehicle, speeding and distractions such as electronic devices. Speeding is the top cause. If a pedestrian is hit by a car going 20 miles per hour, for example, their chances of dying are about 10 percent. When that speed is increased to 40 miles an hour, however, the pedestrian’s risk of death jumps to 80 percent. Some cities have responded to this issue by lowering speed limits or considering lower limits. In New York City, for example, where there are many pedestrians out on the roads, the speed limit on many streets is now 25 miles per hour.
Alcohol is another factor in traffic accidents, with pedestrian ones being no exception to this tragic rule. The GHSA report notes that 15 percent of the pedestrians who die in a traffic accident annually are hit by drunk drivers. As stated by the nonprofit MADD, driving after drinking is a massive issue in general, with the statistics averaging to 27 deaths per day in the country related to intoxicated driving crashes.
The third cause of pedestrian deaths was distracting driving, something that is up across in the country overall. Using an electronic device such as a mobile phone or GPS, eating or grooming while driving, and any other behavior that takes a person’s focus off the road is considered distracted driving. The rise in widespread use of electronic devices in general has lead to a marked increase in distracted driving, with more and more vehicles coming with digital displays and other devices that can be distracting when used while the car is moving. It’s important to note that pedestrians can become distracted by their devices as well, and this was seen in some of the fatal cases.
If you or someone you care about has been injured in a pedestrian traffic accident, speak to an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer Denver CO relies on about your case and your rights as soon as possible.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Richard J. Banta, P.C. for their insight into pedestrian accidents.