SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT AUTO-PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS
Each of us becomes a pedestrian at some point of every day. Regardless of whether we drive a brand-new Ferrari or a dilapidated minivan, most of us will eventually have to park our vehicle and get out and walk.
As pedestrians we are exceptionally vulnerable to the motorists around us. Whether walking to the front door of a grocery store, or using a crosswalk at a major intersection, when we travel on foot we depend on the vigilance and driving abilities of others to avoid serious injuries and death.In 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a national survey of auto-pedestrian accidents. The following are some of the most interesting statistics NHTSA compiled:
–In 2012, at least 4,743 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles and another 76,000 suffered some form of injury. The number of fatalities reported in 2012 represented a 6 percent increase from the previous year. Interestingly, there have been roughly the same amount of pedestrian fatalities each year since 2003, about 4, 500 plus or minus a few hundred. Between the years of 2003-2012 the lowest amount of pedestrian deaths occurred in 2009 with only 4,109 killed. The year with the greatest number of traffic fatalities was 2005 with 4,892 pedestrians killed.
–According to the study, pedestrians living in urban environments are much more likely than their rural counterparts at experiencing a fatal accident. At least 73 percent of all pedestrian deaths occurred in urban areas.
— The average age of the pedestrian killed in an auto accident was 46. The average age of an injured pedestrian was 35. Although people 65 years and older represent only 14 percent of the nation’s population, that demographic accounted for 20 percent of all fatal auto-pedestrian accidents, or 935 fatalities.
Certainly, this is not an exhaustive list of all the findings in that 2012 study. However, it should be clear that auto-pedestrian accidents are a real danger. If you are a Pennsylvania resident who has been injured by a car while walking you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. Your Pennsylvania personal injury attorney can evaluate the specifics of your case and determine whether your claim has the potential to prevail.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Traffic Safety Data Facts-2012-Pedestrians” Dec. 03, 2014