Reasons Pedestrian Accidents Happen

Going too Fast

Driving over the speed limit, especially in school zones, is a major factor in pedestrian accidents.  Children aren’t as experienced at crossing the street, and when a driver isn’t focused or going slow they increase their odds of hitting.

Crosswalks Unused

Over 70% of fatal pedestrian accidents occur at non-intersections.  Jaywalking across heavy-trafficked roadways is a risk to your life and others.  Always cross the street at intersections where drivers can predict your behavior.

Drinking or Drugs

When a driver drinks alcohol, they lose the ability to focus on pedestrians around them. In 65% of all accidents involving pedestrians either the driver or the person hit had a blood alcohol content over the legal limit of .08.

14 Ways to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a pedestrian is any person walking, jogging, running, hiking, sitting, or lying down on or near a roadway. While pedestrians do have the right of way by law, the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State says it is both the driver of a vehicle and the pedestrian’s obligation to be sure pedestrian accidents don’t happen. In this article, I’m going to discuss key findings such as the likelihood of occurrences, critical factors on how they happen, and essential safety reminders of pedestrian accidents. These are the 14 ways to avoid pedestrian accidents.

Key Findings of Pedestrian Accidents

An overview of pedestrian accidents indicates that there are nearly 6,000 pedestrians killed by vehicles every year in the United States. On average, that means that a pedestrian is killed in an automobile crash every 1.5 hours. It is extremely dangerous to walk or run near the road.

• Where? – Of all pedestrian fatalities, only 18% occur at intersections, while 72% occur at non-intersections. Safely using crossings can prevent your loss of life.
• Who? – The most frequent age group and gender of pedestrian accident victims are younger and older men. Ages 10-14 and 50+ account for over half, and men account for 76%. Lifestyle choices such as safely using crosswalks and avoiding alcohol can save your life. Women tend to jaywalk less. (Jaywalking is a crime in Illinois, and occurs when a person crosses a street with traffic at a non-intersection.)
• When? – The time of day and day of the week are crucial factors for pedestrian accidents to occur. When visibility is low at night, more accidents happen. Weekends have more foot traffic than weekdays as well. Over 65% of all pedestrian accidents happen after 6 pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• Why? – Alcohol is the most relevant factor in adverse outcomes when driving. This remains true for pedestrians as well. 27% of pedestrians hit by cars were over .08 BAC (blood-alcohol content), and 52% of drivers who hit pedestrians are under the influence of alcohol. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drink and stumble around roadways. Get a ride.

Pedestrian Accidents in Rockford, IL

As with many urban areas, the likelihood of being hit by a car increases as traffic rises. Rockford is no stranger to pedestrian accidents. While the mass transit system can provide residents with a safe form of transportation, along with ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft, many high traffic roadways don’t even have sidewalks in Rockford. Think of the number of cars that travel east on East State Street beyond Alpine Road. Thousands of vehicles take this route every day with four and sometimes six lanes, yet there are no crosswalks, no pedestrian safety, and no sidewalks. Also, indications suggest that more accidents occur when roadways and sidewalks aren’t well maintained – and the west side of Rockford is full of those.

7 Pedestrian Safety Tips

If you’re going to be interaction with vehicles, you should following the following general rules of thumb:

1. Walk on a path whenever one is available.
2. Always walk with your face toward traffic when a sidewalk isn’t available.
3. Don’t be distracted with headphones when walking.
4. Never assume the drivers on the road see you, be aware.
5. Wear bright clothing like yellow and white, especially at night.
6. Avoid both drugs and alcohol if you’re going to be near the road.
7. Be predictable by using crosswalks, intersections, and obeying safety laws.

7 Driver Safety Tips

Whenever you’re behind the wheel of an automobile, you can never be sure that there aren’t people around. Do the following to reduce your susceptibility to an accident:

1. Look for pedestrians at all times, especially in low light.
2. Always stop for walkers, joggers, bicyclists. 
3. If a car in front of you has stopped at a crosswalk, never pass them.
4. Be prepared for runners when turning right, they might cross.
5. Never drink and drive.
6. Follow the speed limit, slow down even further when pedestrians are present.
7. Stay focused in school zones; children make mistakes when crossing and don’t always obey the crosswalk.

What to do if You’re Involved in a Pedestrian Accident

If you ever hit someone with your car, never leave the crash scene. That is a hit-and-run and is a crime. You should safely pull over, call 911 immediately, and stay at the scene of the incident. Drivers are often terrified about what just happened, but try to remain calm and take note of the scene. Pay special attention to the details of the area, the visibility, the weather, everything. Take pictures if possible. It is not your job to conclude who is at fault or to administer medical attention to anyone. Simply to provide facts.

If you ever get hit by someone in their car, you have a different set of factors to take into consideration. If you can reach your phone, call 911 immediately. If you don’t have access to a phone, yell for help. It could be possible that the driver didn’t know they hit you.   

Next, try to take note of the vehicle that hit you. Color, make, model, license plate, and driver age/gender/race are all critical factors in case they flee the scene. You must get medical attention, even if you don’t believe you’re injured. Medical professionals know best, and you might be in shock or are having an adrenaline rush that could delay injury effects. Also, injuries like concussions aren’t visible to the naked eye. Take photos of the scene for fact-based evidence in case the accident needs to go to trial. If the driver stops, get their information and insurance information.   

Lastly, if you’ve been injured by a driver of a vehicle in a pedestrian accident, contact a lawyer right away. Not only are there statutes of limitation on liability cases, but memory fades, and the sooner you get to an attorney, the better. At MacCloskey Kesler and Associates, our pedestrian accident lawyers have been handling cases in Rockford for over two decades. We provide compassionate, respectful, and experienced legal services to the state line and would give you a free case consultation. Call (815) 965-2000 or click our contact page and fill out our free case review form today.