We tend to think of auto accidents, injuries, and deaths as something that typically involves two or more vehicles, but there is an alarming number of accidents involving cars and pedestrians. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were about 60,000 instances of pedestrians suffering a personal injury in traffic accidents in just one year. Furthermore, a pedestrian is hit by a car once every seven minutes in the United States. There are things that drivers and pedestrians alike can do to help keep this from happening.
Drivers
One of the key things to reducing car-pedestrian accidents is paying attention. Look for people on the sides of roads, even if you aren’t near places that people typically cross the street. Make sure that you look carefully when making turns and navigate them slowly. You should proceed with caution around crosswalks and other pedestrian walkways. Be patient when waiting for people, especially the elderly, to get all the way across the street before driving.
Pedestrians
Pedestrians also need to pay attention to their surroundings when crossing streets or standing near roadways. Don’t try to send text messages and cross the street at the same time. Though this has been repeated to us numerous times since childhood: look both ways before crossing the street. Even if you’re in a hurry or you think that the roadway is clear looking both ways at least once will help ensure that no vehicles are coming. If you are walking at night, wearing bright or reflective clothing will help you be more visible to drivers.
Though there are easy steps to take to ensure the safety of pedestrians on the roads, accidents still happen. If you’ve suffered a personal injury as a pedestrian, you probably have grounds to file a personal injury claim. Personal injury lawsuits can be filed due to pain and suffering, lost wages, medial expenses, and inability to work. You should find a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to help you proceed taking action against those responsible. For more information see this.
