The number of pedestrians killed by drivers in the United States last year was markedly greater than pre-pandemic levels, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The article refers to the recent numbers released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a nonprofit safety group. The data shows that 7,318 pedestrians were killed in crashes in 2023 — 14% more than the 6,412 killed in 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
What the Numbers Show
The number of people killed in pedestrian accidents did drop more than 5% between 2022 and 2023 giving hope that a problem that has challenged local and federal officials for decades may finally be improving. However given the spike in the 2023 data, officials say it will take continued improvements in road safety, vehicle safety and other areas to bring these alarming numbers of pedestrians deaths down. Over the past five years, more than 35,000 pedestrians have died and the number of fatalities rose nearly 77% between 2010 and 2022.
GHSA’s senior director of external engagement, Pam Shadel, told the Journal that the popularity of larger vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs, an increase in speeding and a lack of pedestrian safety infrastructure are partly to blame for pedestrian fatalities. These problems have worsened during the pandemic when emptier roads allowed for more speeding. Alcohol and drug use increased and there was a decline in traffic enforcement. The rise in deaths continued into 2021 and hit a 40-year high in 2022, GHSA reported.
Officials said the 5% drop between 2022 and 2023 in pedestrian deaths may be an indication of how some measures such as increased police presence, automatic enforcement technology and improved roadway design may be working. The report said some of the biggest risks to pedestrians include speeding vehicles, walking at night and walking in areas that don’t have sidewalks. Also, the 10 most populous U.S. cities accounted for 844 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, a 21% increase from 2019. Impaired driving is also a major concern. In 2022, 19% of fatal pedestrian accidents involved a driver whose blood alcohol concentration exceeded 0.08%, the legal limit for drivers.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in New York City
Pedestrian accidents in New York City often stem from a combination of factors, including distracted driving, failure to yield right-of-way, speeding, and pedestrian inattention. Distracted driving, particularly due to smartphone usage, ranks high among causes, diverting drivers’ attention from pedestrians crossing streets or walking along sidewalks. Drivers failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks or intersections, either due to impatience or negligence (carelessness), significantly contribute to accidents. Speeding is a significant factor here, often increasing the probability of serious or catastrophic injuries. Also, the complexity of New York City’s urban environment increases the likelihood of pedestrian accidents and highlights the deficiencies in pedestrian safety.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should also remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one million dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. We recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/number-of-pedestrians-killed-by-drivers-remains-vexingly-high-dfad547f