Major U.S. Cities Target Rising Pedestrian Fatalities

 Following a number of nationwide safety efforts to curb car accident fatalities, transportation officials are now zeroing in on another serious traffic issue – the gradual increase in pedestrian deaths over the last five years. According to a Bloomberg News report, there were 4,735 pedestrian accident deaths in 2013, a slight decline from the previous year, but still 15 percent higher than in 2009. That compares with the overall 32,719 traffic accident deaths nationwide in 2013, which is a 3.1 percent decline from the previous year, continuing a long-term downward trend.

Working on Pedestrian Safety
Officials in New York, Los Angeles and other major cities are rethinking street configurations to determine how people navigate them and to make them safer for pedestrians. Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $1.6 million in grants for cities to promote pedestrian safety. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio embarked on a “Vision Zero” campaign, an ambitious plan to eliminate traffic deaths. The city has taken a number of steps including lowering the speed limit of Central Park’s scenic loop to 20 mph from 25 mph. Two park visitors on foot were fatally struck by bicyclists earlier this year.
New York City had seen 109 pedestrian fatalities in 2014 as of Oct. 29 compared to 178 for all of 2013 and 150 the previous year. The city lowered speed limits on 90 percent of its streets in all five boroughs to 25 mph from 30 mph. The city has also deployed speed cameras. Transportation officials say these safety campaigns would eventually lead drivers to slow down.
The Devastation of Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents often result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities. While traffic fatalities have dropped over the years, pedestrian fatalities have risen. This is because safety features in vehicles such as seatbelts and airbags have improved. But pedestrians have nothing to protect them. Pedestrians end up suffering severe injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, internal organ damage, multiple bone fractures, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, 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. Our skilled personal injury lawyers have a proven track record for over 43 years of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a man on a bicycle 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.
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Source: Bloomberg News