The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released a report about pedestrian deaths in the United States. The findings were surprising in a number of ways. First, the study found that the first half of 2013 saw fewer pedestrian deaths than the first half of 2012. The 8.7 percent decline in pedestrian deaths is in stark contrast to the pedestrian accident rate since 2009. That year, which saw the all-time low of U.S. pedestrian deaths with 4,109, marked a beginning of increasing pedestrian deaths in the U.S.
The years that followed the all-time low saw an 8.7 percent annual average increase in the pedestrian death rate. No one is entirely sure why the pedestrian death rate has been steadily on the rise since 2009, nor is anyone sure why the pedestrian death rate in the first half of 2013 suddenly dropped compared to the same period of 2012.
As we have talked about, and is apparent to most people around the world, the disparity in safety when a car and pedestrian collide is tremendous. The car is likely traveling at a devastating speed compared to a pedestrian, and the person walking in the street has little or no protection should they collide. This causes pedestrians to suffer horrific or even fatal injuries when they are struck by a motor vehicle.
Just because this is an inherent part of pedestrian accidents doesn’t mean that we should just shrug our shoulders at the problem. Pedestrian accidents still happen far too often, and these accidents can ruin lives. They can leave people incapacitated or disabled or worse. If the victim of a pedestrian accident was struck by a negligent driver, they need to consider their legal options. A civil suit could help them earn much-needed compensation to help them with their medical and rehabilitation bills.
Source: Forbes, “Pedestrian Deaths Down In First Half of 2013, Report Says,” Tanya Mohn, March 5, 2014