Pedestrian Accident Fatality Statistiscs
Pedestrian Accidents and Fatalities – A Nationwide Problem
If you have ever been a pedestrian in a high traffic area, you know how harrowing an experience it can be. When you are on foot, you notice how heavy, fast and dangerous cars actually are, and you develop a healthy respect for them and what a risk they pose to your well-being.
If you get nervous when cars are speeding around you, you have good reason. Pedestrians are killed everyday across the country, and it is a problem that will not go away anytime soon.
Pedestrian Fatality Statistics
Pedestrian fatalities are a significant issue in this country. Of fatalities involving motore vehicles, an estimated 11 percent invole pedestrians.
A huge number of pedestrians have died in car-related accidents over the past 30 years. Statistics indicate that at least 180,000 died from 1975 to 2005. Consider these disturbing numbers:
- Every 8 minutes a pedestrian is injured or killed in an accident involving a motor vehicle
- Every 111 minutes a pedestrian is killed in an accident involving a motor vehicle
- 4,280 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. in 2010
Of course, some states experience significantly higher fatality rates than others. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, California led the nation with a little over 550 deaths in 2009, while Wyoming only had a few pedestrian deaths.
Colorado was also low on the spectrum, with around 50 deaths in 2009.
More pedestrian accidents occur in cities
Pedestrian fatalities tend to concentrate in urban areas. This makes sense, as there are far more pedestrians and cars in cities than out in the countryside.
Although Colorado had around 50 pedestrian deaths in 2009, the majority of them occurred in the state’s most populous city, Denver.
When pedestrian accidents do occur in rural areas, they are more likely to be fatal, as vehicles are typically traveling at much higher speeds.
According the National Highway Safety Council, around 85 percent of non-fatal pedestrian accidents happen in urban areas. The organization estimates that in rural areas, however, only around 14 percent of such accidents occur.
Intersections are not the most dangerous areas
While it may seem like intersections would be the most dangerous areas for pedestrians, this is not actually the case. Motorists are typically traveling slower at intersections, and most know to look out for pedestrians in these areas.
The majority of pedestrian accidents and fatalities actually occur at non-intersections, and by far the largest percentage of pedestrian deaths happen on major roads, such a freeways and interstates.
What happens to pedestrians involved in vehicle collisions
Humans are fragile creatures, especially in comparison to thousands of pounds of hurtling steel. When a car hits you, whether it is traveling at 10 mph or 50 mph, it is bound to cause some damage.
Pedestrians hit by cars are likely to sustain a variety of injuries, especially to their heads, legs and arms. Some common pedestrian injuries include:
- Fractured bones, including broken arms and legs
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury, including paraplegia and quadriplegia
- Coma
- Death
Happening all the time
Just around the beginning of 2013, two different pedestrian accidents happened in Denver alone. In one accident, the victim was killed. In the other, the victim sustained serious injuries that required hospitalization.
In December, a white minivan committed a hit and run when it struck a woman standing in a turn lane and then sped off.
The woman died at the scene, and police are still looking for the minivan. In January, a young man in his 20s was hit by three different cars, one of which fled the scene.
The man was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries. It appears from these examples that pedestrians not only have to worry about a car hitting them, they also must worry about that car sticking around and taking responsibility for what happened.
Pedestrian accident victims have rights
If you or someone you love has been struck by a vehicle while you were walking, it is important that you understand that there are laws in place to protect you.
If you were obeying traffic laws, and the accident was no fault of yours, then you can likely gain compensation for your injuries.
Medical treatment for the kind of damage caused in a pedestrian motor vehicle accident can be prohibitively expensive. Contact our Denver personal injury lawyers today to see how we can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Contact our Denver Pedestrian Accident Law Firm Today For Help
For more information please contact Zaner Harden Law, LLP to schedule a free initial consultation with a Denver pedestrian accident lawyer.
Zaner Harden Law, LLP
1610 Wynkoop Street, Suite 120. Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706
