ARIZONA’S HIGH PEDESTRIAN DEATH RATE 
Arizona has one of the worst rates of pedestrian deaths in the country. According to crash data from the Arizona Department of Transportation, 1,202 pedestrians died from vehicle collisions between 2014 and 2019. Furthermore, pedestrian fatalities increased by 42% from 155 in 2014 to 220 in 2019. In Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, pedestrian fatalities have nearly tripled since 2009, with pedestrian deaths up 193% from 2009.
In 2018, Arizona had the fourth-highest pedestrian fatality rate at 3.3 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people compared to the national rate of 1.92 per 100,000, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Arizona has ranked in the top 10 among states and as high as second since 1994.
More than half of fatal pedestrian crashes occur in the roadway, and not in a crosswalk or an intersection. Only 10% of fatal pedestrian collisions happen at intersections with marked crosswalks. Arizona’s wide arterial roadways, speeding drivers, and lack of convenient crossing areas may all play a part.
A crosswalk accident lawyer in Phoenix, AZ may state that poor lighting can be a key factor in crashes involving pedestrians. Most collisions involving pedestrians occur during the day, but most fatal collisions occur at night. In addition, the chance of death increases, even more, when lighting conditions are either nonexistent or unknown.
Crash data also reveals more affluent areas, such as Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, have far fewer fatal collisions involving pedestrians compared with other municipalities in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Additionally, a 2012 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that far more people were injured in the intersections of poorer areas compared with the richest.
Local governments are trying to improve pedestrian safety in several ways. Officials are educating pedestrians to look for vehicles and drivers to look for pedestrians. Increasing the number and brightness of streetlights is a goal in order to improve pedestrian visibility, especially at night. Cities can also help make streets safer by lowering speed limits and adding speed bumps that force drivers to travel at slower speeds that are less likely to cause serious injury or death.
Following a crash with injuries, a crosswalk accident lawyer in Phoenix, AZ can assess fault, look into available insurance, and evaluate claims for injuries and damages. There should be no fee for a consultation, there should be no attorney’s fees unless a settlement is obtained.
If you are ready to talk with a crosswalk accident lawyer Phoenix, AZ recommends to pedestrian accident victims, call Paul Englander, PLC office today.
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