Design elements such as bollards and rubber curbs will prevent drivers from cutting across intersections and can make streets safer for pedestrians, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This type of “centerline hardening” forces drivers to turn more slowly at close to a right angle by blocking the diagonal path through the crosswalk thereby reducing major injury pedestrian accidents.
IIHS says in Washington D.C., the infrastructural changes reduced the number of times drivers had to swerve or brake suddenly or when pedestrians had to jump out of the way by 70 percent. Researchers with IIHS say the study shows such simple infrastructure changes that may not cost much to implement can deliver great benefits in terms of safety. They say communities that are looking for ways to enhance pedestrian safety on their roadways should consider the centerline hardening approach. The change also resulted in a reduction in average left-turn speeds and decreased the risk of drivers turning in excess of 15 mph, based on the IIHS report.
Spike in Pedestrian Deaths
Nationwide, pedestrian accident deaths rose 53 percent from 2009 to 2018 and now account for 17 percent of traffic deaths nationwide. In response, many cities across the United States including New York, have created Vision Zero programs aimed at eliminating all such fatalities and passed laws to curb aggressive driving. The programs also look for ways to improve road design.
Centerline hardening is a type of road design meant to make intersections safer for pedestrians by encouraging drivers to take left turns at slower speeds. Bollards and rubber curbs are used here to block the diagonal path through the intersection. IIHS says a little more than half of all crashes involving pedestrians took place at intersections in 2018, resulting in more than 1,500 pedestrian deaths and 6,700 serious injuries.
At New York City’s busy intersections, drivers making left turns often hit pedestrians who are crossing there. These types of left-turn crashes accounted for nearly one-third of all pedestrian versus vehicle collisions at street intersections in 2018, according to the IIHS.
A vehicle’s speed in a pedestrian accident is also linked to the risk of serious injury. The odds of a pedestrian suffering a serious injury rise from 1 in 10 to 1 in 4 as the impact speed increases from 17 mph to 25 mph. Researchers with the IIHS say centerline hardening can be an effective tool along with curb extensions, median islands and other measures to increase pedestrian safety.
Liability and Compensation
In such cases where negligence (carelessness) is established, drivers and vehicle owners can be held financially responsible for the injuries, damages and losses they cause, even if they are not criminally charged by the authorities. Injured victims will able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
It is important to remember that pedestrian accident victims may be able to seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if they were not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver has not been 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.
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.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm 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 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 and medical malpractice 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.iihs.org/news/detail/simple-infrastructure-changes-make-left-turns-safer-for-pedestrians