According to penndot.gov (PDF), “many pedestrian crashes and fatalities occurred while pedestrians were entering crossing/specified location’”. [sic]. This means that a pedestrian was most likely crossing the street at an intersection, mid-block crossing, or crossing a driveway entrance.
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Category: Pedestrian Accidents
Sep 9, 2020 - Pedestrian Accidents
Allentown Personal Injury Lawyer Helping You Avoid Pedestrian Accidents
According to the Pedestrian Safety section of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5,977 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2017. That’s about one death every 88 minutes. Moreover, an estimated 137,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal crash-related injuries in 2017. Per trip, pedestrians are one-and-a-half times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to be killed in a car crash. Furthermore, pedestrian auto fatalities in 2019 were projected to be at their highest level since 1988, reaching 6,590 deaths, according to a report published in 2020 by the Governors Highway Association (GHA). This 2019 total represents a 6% increase from its estimate of 6,227 pedestrians killed in 2018. The GHA says this projection represents a continuation of an increasing trend in pedestrian crash deaths going back to 2009. These are sobering statistics. They bear out the assumptions that: Motor vehicle drives are not adept at spotting pedestrians entering their path or are simply not paying enough attention, and Pedestrians are often distracted and not paying enough attention to oncoming traffic. If you have been involved in a pedestrian-related accident in Pennsylvania, either as a driver or as a pedestrian, let an Allentown personal injury lawyer help. Pedestrian Safety Tips Pedestrians may believe that the responsibility for their safety rests entirely on motor vehicle drivers. In other words, drivers should simply be more careful and aware. This is dangerous thinking. Even if it is true, how much help is blaming a driver […]
Nov 1, 2019 - Articles
TURNING OUR CLOCKS BACK INCREASES THE RISKS OF DRIVING AT NIGHT– Here Are Ten Tips to Stay Alive
This Sunday morning, at 2 AM, Daylight Savings Time will end. We will move our clocks back one hour. While many will welcome the extra hour of sleep we gain, when Daylight Saving Time ends, many people will find themselves spending more time driving in the dark. According to the National Safety Council, traffic fatalities are 3 times greater at night than during the day. Fatigue, compromised night vision, and impaired drivers are some of the risks we face when driving at night. These risks become especially pronounced moving into the weekend, with fatal crashes peaking on Saturday nights, according to NSC analysis of NHTSA data. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision can be compromised in the dark and the glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle can temporarily blind a driver. Even with high-beam headlights on, visibility is limited to about 500 feet (250 feet for normal headlights) creating less time to react, especially when driving at higher speeds. Ninety percent of your reaction time depends on your ability to see what’s around you. Since your depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision decrease after sundown, your chances for a car accident tend to increase. According to the American Optometric Association, as we age, we have greater difficulty seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old. At age 60 and older, driving can become even more difficult due to compromised vision as a result of cataracts […]
A Doylestown Personal Injury Attorney Can Help Road crossings can be quite dangerous to pedestrians, whether or not the pedestrian is using a crosswalk or is simply making their way to the other side of the roadway without the use of a crosswalk. If you’ve been injured while crossing the road (outside of a crosswalk), then Pennsylvania law may give you a right of action against the defendant-driver for damages, though the lawsuit may be complicated by liability conflicts, such as your own contribution of fault. Right-of-Way and Pedestrian Road Crossings in Pennsylvania In Pennsylvania, right of way in pedestrian crossing scenarios depends on whether the pedestrian used a crosswalk. Crosswalks can be marked and unmarked. Marked crosswalks are the sort that most people are familiar with — a marked crosswalk may be painted and feature various traffic signals, for example. By contrast, an unmarked crosswalk exists at any intersection. Right-of-way rules for both are the same. Crosswalks (Marked and Unmarked) According to Section 3542 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, the driver of a vehicle must yield right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk. Traffic control signals may alter the applicable right of way. Non-Crosswalks If the pedestrian is crossing the roadway at a location that is not a marked or unmarked crosswalk, then the driver has the right-of-way. In other words, the driver need not yield to the pedestrian. Drivers Must Exercise Reasonable Care Given the Circumstances Even if you — the pedestrian […]
With our schools back in session, it is a good time to refresh our understanding as to when motorists must stop for a school bus on a divided highway. We have found that even experienced motorists still have some uncertainty when determining whether they are required to stop for school bus on the other side of a multi-lane roadway. Does it matter if the lanes on the roadway are divided by a turning lane, a jersey barrier, a grassy divide or a median strip? Do you know what the law in Pennsylvania requires? The general rule is that all motorist must stop at least 10 feet away from a school bus that has its red lights flashing and “stop arm” extended, whether if you behind the bus, meeting the bus from the opposite direction, or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. You must remained stopped until the red lights have stopped flashing. If children have exited the bus, you must not move your vehicle until all the children have reached a place of safety off of the roadway. If you observe the amber lights of the school bus flashing, this is an indication that within 150 to 300 feet the school bus will be activating its red flashing lights and stopping. Drivers can proceed past a school bus if only the amber lights are flashing, but drivers must be prepared to stop when the red lights are flashing and “stop arm” has been extended. While these rules seem straight […]
Apr 3, 2017 - Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian Safety
Each year thousands of pedestrians are injured and killed in accidents with vehicles. These accidents are tragic but often preventable. Drivers and pedestrians need to take steps to ensure everyone’s safety. Contact an Allentown injury law attorney at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC today by calling 888-777-7098 if you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a pedestrian-related accident. Pedestrian Injury Statistics The statistics surrounding pedestrian-related vehicle accidents are extremely sobering. A recent survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found sobering statistics relating to pedestrian accidents. In the year surveyed: There were 4,735 pedestrians killed in traffic. On average, a pedestrian was killed every 2 hours and injured every 8 minutes in crashes. Pedestrian deaths accounted for 14 percent of all traffic-related deaths. 26 % of pedestrian fatalities occurred in the evening hours. 69% of the pedestrians killed in traffic crashes were males. Alcohol involvement (driver and/or the pedestrian) was reported in 49% of all fatal accidents. Unfortunately, the survey also found that one-in-five of the pedestrians killed were struck in crashes that involved hit-and-run drivers. These statistics make it clear that pedestrians must take steps to protect themselves. Please contact one of the personal injury attorneys at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC today if you have been injured in a car accident. Getting us involved early in the process is critical to ensuring you get full compensation for your injuries. How Can Pedestrians Protect Themselves? The Centers for Disease […]
Oct 13, 2016 - Pedestrian Accidents
DOES REFLECTIVE GEAR REALLY WORK TO PREVENT PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS?
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted inPedestrian Accidents on Thursday, October 13, 2016. In the struggling economic environment of today, many Pennsylvania residents choose to walk or bike to their destinations. While most of these activities occur during the day, more and more pedestrians are taking the road at night as well. Walking is cost-effective, of course, but it is also good for your overall health. However, there are dangers inherent to walking at night and one of these is poor visibility. There have been many studies aimed at identifying visibility factors for nighttime drivers. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, published an abstract of one such study in its Journal of Vision. The study tested the how drivers see pedestrians at night and involved several factors such as driver age, distance from pedestrians and the clothing configuration of the pedestrians. The ability of drivers to detect pedestrians was significantly improved when the pedestrians were wearing reflective clothing. Most all safety-focused organizations recommend the use of reflective gear or clothing to reduce or prevent pedestrian accidents. Used in tandem with other pedestrian safety measures like crossing only at designated locations and facing oncoming traffic while walking, reflective gear does appear to be a major factor in preventing pedestrian accidents. You can do your own testing as well. Most traffic signs are reflective so you can begin to notice how long it takes you to spot these signs while driving. You should notice […]
Aug 18, 2016 - Pedestrian Accidents
HOW RUNNERS CAN AVOID CAR ACCIDENTS
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Thursday, August 18, 2016. For the avid runner, many hours are typically spent on the shoulder of the road, putting in mile after mile. This can create a fairly dangerous situation, as it only takes one negligent driver to cause an accident, and the prolonged — and consistent — exposure means runners are at a high risk. There are things that runner can do to avoid accidents, though, such as wearing bright clothing during the day and donning headlamps when running in the evening or the early morning. Some runners will also wear reflective vests. Many accidents happen when drivers just don’t see runners, so being as visible as possible makes a huge difference. It’s been said that vests increase visibility for a quarter of a mile, while headlamps increase it for a half a mile. Even at 60 miles per hour, that could buy you half a minute of visibility that would wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s also wise to be as predictable as possible. Run where drivers expect you to be, such as on the shoulder. Face traffic when you can. Cross when there is a light and a crosswalk. Don’t suddenly change your direction, especially without checking for cars. Try to avoid anything that would obstruct a driver’s vision, like a row of parked cars. Drivers have expectations about runners. If you do what you can to act the way they already expect, […]
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted inPedestrian Accidents on Monday, August 1, 2016. Accidents can’t be avoided entirely. Every year, pedestrian accidents take hundreds and hundreds of lives in the United States. For example, 4,735 people died in 2013 alone. Every two hours, a pedestrian was killed in a crash. On top of that, over 150,000 pedestrians ended up in the emergency room that year with injuries that were not fatal. Studies have shown that pedestrians are actually one and a half times as likely to die in a car crash on every trip than people in those cars. However, looking at the risk factors can help people take positive steps to reduce the chances of an accident. Consider the following: — Just under 20 percent of all of the people killed in these accidents were at least 65 years old. This same age group accounted for about 10 percent of those who were injured. — Young children are also in danger. For every five children under 14 who passed away in an accident in 2013, one was a pedestrian. — Alcohol is involved heavily in these accidents. It was noted in just under 50 percent of all deadly accidents. — The above does not just mean that drivers are drinking. In 34 percent of the deadly accidents, the pedestrian had a blood alcohol concentration over 0.08, which is the legal driving limit. While this is not illegal, it does show the involvement. What […]
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Friday, June 3, 2016. Many laws have been put in place in Pennsylvania to keep pedestrians safe, some of which focus on those people and some of which focus on the traffic around them. Below are a few key laws to know. — If one car stops to let a person go across the road in a crosswalk, all other vehicles have to stop as well. This is to prevent a following car from trying to pass, not seeing the person and hitting him or her in the crosswalk. It is important to note that this applies in multi-lane streets, so drivers in the next lane have to stop even if no traffic is stopped directly in front of them. — If there are control lights for the pedestrians telling them when to walk and when to stay on the sidewalk, they have to follow those controls. They should not cross against the signal, even if it looks clear to them. — If there aren’t any light controls for the pedestrians, though, the pedestrians then have the right of way. If they are in the crosswalk, the vehicle has to wait for them. — There are unmarked crosswalks. Drivers are responsible for knowing where these are and have to give the right of way to the pedestrians, even if they are not within any white or yellow lines. — Similarly, it is assumed that a […]
