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The vast majority of pedestrian deaths in traffic accidents are preventable. Despite the avoidable nature of these accidents, the number of pedestrian deaths that happen each year across the United States has increased by fifty-one percent since 2009. Severe injury or death in a traffic accident leaves pedestrians and their families facing significant emotional, financial, and legal challenges.
Pursuing compensation after an accident can be overwhelming. That is where Arash Law comes in to help. The attorneys at our personal injury law firm have decades of combined experience providing legal support to traffic accident victims, including those involved in pedestrian accidents.
If you or a family member has suffered an injury in an accident, the attorneys at Arash Law can evaluate your situation and discuss your options. Call us at (888) 488-1391 to schedule your free initial consultation.
Understanding Risks For Pedestrians And Bicyclists
Pedestrians and bicyclists are at risk for significant injury if they get into a traffic accident. Neither pedestrians nor bicyclists are covered like other motorists are. The number of pedestrian accidents hit an all-time low in 2009 after many years of pedestrian deaths caused by traffic crashes. However, since the recorded decrease in pedestrian deaths, the number of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents across the country has increased by fifty-one percent in recent years.
Bicyclists are in a similar position to pedestrians. Both bicyclists and pedestrians must take precautions when they are traveling on the same roads as motorists. Pedestrian deaths represent about 17 percent of all traffic fatalities, and bicyclist deaths represent around two percent of traffic crash fatalities.
In response to the need to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety, states across the country have implemented some of the following safety measures:
- Overpasses
- Underpasses
- Sidewalks
- Median islands
- Adjusted traffic signals
The measures listed above are traffic engineering improvements. These technical advancements increase the separation between vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. If there is more space between motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists on the road, the number of traffic accidents is likely to decrease.
Some states have proposed lowering the speed limit in urban areas to reduce the number of serious injuries involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Other states have proposed that traffic signals should be used to give bicyclists and pedestrians a head start when they are crossing the street, like more time at a crosswalk.
Fatality Statistics For Pedestrians And Bicyclists
In recent years, the number of pedestrian and bicyclist accidents has included the following:
- 843 bicyclists were killed.
- 6,205 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents.
- 75,000 pedestrians suffered an injury across the United States.
- 47,000 bicyclists suffered an injury in traffic accidents across the country.
- Of bicyclists killed in traffic accidents across the country, 90 percent were twenty years old or older.
- Only 17 percent of bicyclists who were fatally injured were wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Crash Avoidance Technology
The car industry has been working to improve technology that increases driver safety. What follows are examples of crash avoidance technology in development.
Pedestrian Crash Prevention Systems
A system for preventing pedestrian crashes works by constantly monitoring the traffic in front of vehicles. It warns drivers when obstacles, pedestrians, and cyclists are in front of their car so that the driver can avoid collisions. Some pedestrian crash systems may also automatically apply the brakes when they detect someone walking in front of the vehicle. These systems could prevent up to 65 percent of pedestrian crashes.
Cyclist Crash Prevention Systems
Cyclist crash prevention systems are not as advanced as pedestrian crash prevention systems. However, after installing cyclist crash prevention systems, studies show that the systems mitigated or prevented 47 percent of crashes between vehicles and bicyclists. Pedestrian and cyclist prevention systems are still in the beginning stages. While crash prevention systems show promise in laboratory testing, more comprehensive real-world research needs to be done to fully determine their effectiveness in preventing pedestrian and bicyclist deaths.
EyeSight Crash Prevention Technologies
In 2022, the Highway Loss Data found that pedestrian injury claim rates were lowered by more than 35 percent with vehicles that have EyeSight crash prevention technology installed. This tech, along with more widely known crash prevention technology, decreases the number of accidents between cars and pedestrians or bicyclists.
Vehicle Design
The car industry is developing new ways to design vehicles to increase safety for both pedestrians and cyclists. Many pedestrians or bicyclists involved in traffic accidents are hit by the front of a car or truck, making initial contact with the vehicle’s bumper. The industry intends to decrease the frequency and severity of pedestrian and bicyclist accidents by focusing on vehicle design.
Studies have shown that if a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle that sits high off the ground, like an SUV or a pickup truck, they tend to suffer from a more severe injury because the impact on the person’s body is greater than it would have been if the vehicle were smaller. Pedestrians who collide with large vehicles like SUVs have an 81 percent chance of dying in the accident.
Research completed by the car industry has shown that modifying the front end of vehicles reduces the severity of injuries suffered by pedestrians and cyclists when accidents do occur. The approach car manufacturers have taken internationally is to increase the space between the hood of the vehicle and the vehicle’s engine. This design change allows the hood to automatically lift a few inches when a person collides with the vehicle.
In addition to this change, the use of pedestrian airbags can help decrease the number of accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians. The new car industry standard will also include the use of a pillar in the windshield that prevents pedestrians and cyclists from hitting their heads. The above changes are not common on the roads in the United States. However, the United States has been involved in meetings to develop an international pedestrian-vehicle safety standard.
Helmet Use Can Help Decrease Bicyclist Traffic Fatalities
When bicyclists wear helmets, they are less likely to be injured or killed in traffic crashes. Helmets can protect bicyclists from some severe injuries when they are riding their bikes. Bicyclists are most likely to suffer head injuries in traffic accidents. The risk of severe injuries to bicyclists decreases by 63-88% if they wear helmets.
Bicyclists are also at risk for harm to their faces and necks. Wearing a helmet can help prevent some injuries for bicyclists. Studies show that more people wear helmets if the laws of their state or territory require them to wear a helmet. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia require minors to wear helmets. However, there is no similar obligation for adult riders.
People who use bike share services are less likely to wear helmets than they are when they ride their bicycles. While helmets significantly reduce the severity and occurrence of injuries among bicyclists, remember that not all helmets reduce the risk of a concussion. Be careful and research the safety record of your helmet before you buy it.
Vehicle Speeds And Risk Of Traffic Accidents
The higher the speed a vehicle has before a traffic crash, the greater the risk of grave injury. Pedestrians and bicyclists are at greater risk of dying in a traffic accident because their vehicle offers less protection than those of car or truck drivers. Even if the motorist increases their speed at small intervals, the impact on pedestrians and bicyclists is dangerous. Studies have found that the risk of serious injury to a pedestrian when they are involved in a high-speed traffic crash increases in the following ways:
- If the driver is traveling at 17 mph, a pedestrian is 10 percent more likely to suffer a severe injury.
- If the driver is traveling at 25 mph, a pedestrian is 25 percent more likely to suffer grave injuries.
- If the driver is traveling at 33 mph, a pedestrian is 50 percent more likely to suffer a serious injury.
- If the driver is traveling at 41 mph, a pedestrian is 75 percent more likely to suffer a significant injury.
- If the driver is traveling at 48 mph, a pedestrian is 90 percent more likely to suffer a potentially fatal injury.
Despite how a traffic accident happens, a lawyer can help protect your legal rights if you were injured due to someone else’s negligence. The car accident attorneys at Arash Law assist clients in seeking compensation through the legal process. Call us at (888) 488-1391 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Roadway Designs
In addition to the advancements in road safety and increased technology that are becoming industry standards, many cities are making changes to the ways that roads are designed to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Some countermeasures have been effective, and others have not been proven to increase safety among pedestrians and bicyclists. Effective countermeasures include bike lanes and sidewalks.
Sidewalks and bike lanes separate motorists from pedestrians and bicyclists. Sidewalks in the neighborhood turned out to be particularly effective. While normal bike lanes are effective at decreasing the number of traffic accidents between bicyclists and drivers in some areas, bike lanes did not eliminate the problem in other areas. To address this concern, some cities started to use protected bike lanes.
Protected bike lanes increased the amount of separation between bicyclists and drivers. The more space between the two, the less likely a crash will occur. The use of protected bike lanes decreased the number of the following types of bicyclist traffic injuries:
- Rear-end crashes between motor vehicles and bicyclists.
- Bicyclists falling off their bikes and into oncoming traffic.
Additionally, the increased use of protected bike lanes increases the amount of continuous separation between bikes and cars and keeps the number of traffic crashes involving bicyclists low.
Intersections And Mid-Block Crossings
Road design advancements have also focused on increasing safety at crosswalks. Cities across the country have focused on installing curb extensions to decrease the amount of time that pedestrians are in the street while they are crossing. Increasing pedestrians’ time to cross the street is particularly good for older pedestrians. Because curb extensions give pedestrians more time to cross the street, drivers have more time to slow down, realize that pedestrians are crossing, and avoid accidents.
The new curb extensions will also change traffic signals. These changes include traffic signals that stop all vehicle traffic so pedestrians and cyclists can cross. Under the new system, vehicles that are turning left will follow a green arrow, and the pedestrians and cyclists crossing the street will have a red light indicating that they should stop.
Electric And Hybrid Vehicles
Electric and hybrid vehicles present challenges in reducing the number of accidents between vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists. Electric and hybrid vehicles are so quiet that they do not make enough noise to warn pedestrians and bicyclists that the car is approaching, which increases the likelihood of an accident and injury. In fact, the likelihood of a pedestrian getting into an accident with an electric car or hybrid is three percent higher than an accident with any other type of car.
The Highway Loss Data Institute reported that hybrids are 10 percent more likely to cause an accident with a bicyclist or pedestrian than non-electric or non-hybrid vehicles. Because electric and hybrid vehicles have a greater chance of getting into an accident than other cars, most states require hybrid and electric vehicles to emit a sound that mimics a motor. This motor-like sound is designed to warn pedestrians and hybrids that the vehicle is coming. The sound is triggered when the vehicle is in drive or in reverse and is moving at a speed faster than 19 miles per hour.
Daylight Saving Time
The Highway Loss Data Institute has also studied the effects of abolishing daylight saving time on the rate of pedestrian or bicyclist accidents. When there is more daylight, the incidences of crashes between vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists decrease because pedestrians and cyclists are more visible during the day than at night. An analysis of data from the late 1980s and early 1990s suggested that over 900 deadly traffic accidents might have been prevented annually if daylight saving time were observed year-round.
How Can An Attorney Help Me?
If you are injured in an accident caused by someone else, an attorney will help you protect your legal rights. Filing a lawsuit can be complicated, and trying to negotiate a settlement with an insurance company can be difficult. An experienced advocate can help you pursue compensation and navigate the legal process after a crash. A personal injury lawyer knows the rules of civil procedure, evidence, and the local rules of court.
An attorney can handle the legal side of your case, allowing you to focus on your recovery. They will work as your advocate in many ways. They can help you connect with physicians for necessary medical attention. Your lawyer will also represent your interests at trial. Representing yourself at trial may look easy on TV, but effective trial advocacy requires legal skills and experience. At Arash Law, our personal injury lawyers are experienced in representing our clients’ interests and helping them seek compensation, whether at the negotiation table or in court.
Contact Arash Law’s Pedestrian Accident Lawyers For Legal Assistance
The attorneys at Arash Law have been representing accident victims across the state for decades. We have helped clients with personal injury claims throughout California. We can help you explore your options for compensation and advocate for your rights throughout the legal process. Call us at (888) 488-1391 to schedule a free initial consultation.
