Recent Crashes Highlight The Dangers of Auto Pedestrian Accidents

5/7/2019 Car Accidents,Personal Injury John Whitfield

Nashville has seen some very unsettling auto pedestrian accidents in recent months, including a fatal accident involving children. While pedestrian accidents can happen to anyone, children are particularly susceptible because of their small size. Drivers often cannot see small children near or behind their vehicles; and, because they are young, kids are inexperienced with traffic safety and the dangers posed by moving vehicles.

Pedestrians Are In Danger

Pedestrian deaths have hit a 28-year high. The Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) found 6,227 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads in 2018, the highest number in nearly three decades. Pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. have increased 41 percent since 2008, and now account for 16 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Three Reasons Why Auto Pedestrian Accident Injuries Are On The Rise

1. Increased use of larger vehicles: pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and crossover utility vehicles are purchased by drivers more often each year. The number of SUVs involved in the wrongful death of a pedestrian has increased 50 percent since 2013, as bigger, heavier, and more powerful vehicles are hitting people, making them more likely to die or suffer life-threatening injuries in an auto pedestrian accident.
2. Distracted driving: today’s drivers have more distractions available than ever before, especially via their smartphones. The number of smartphones in active use in the U.S. more than quintupled from 2010 to 2017, and the amount of wireless data usage also increased by about 4,000 percent during this same time period. When drivers are not focused on the road, this contributes to pedestrian accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
3. Drunk driving: alcohol impairment by the driver and/or the pedestrian was reported in about half of the traffic accidents that ended in pedestrian fatalities in 2017.

What Can We Do To Help Prevent Pedestrian Accidents?

Drivers can and should walk around their cars to check for children before getting in to drive, keep an eye out for pedestrians at all times, exercise caution when backing up, follow the posted speed limits, and avoid passing at crosswalks.

Pedestrians should always use sidewalks, cross at corners or crosswalks, wear reflective clothing, avoid walking in areas with poor lighting at nighttime, and keep alert for vehicles on roadways or driveways at all times.

Nashville Auto Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Being involved in a pedestrian accident is an unbelievably distressing event. If you or someone you love was injured in a pedestrian accident, the experienced Nashville pedestrian accident attorneys at Whitfield Bryson LLP can help. Contact us today.