Pedestrian Deaths are at a 30-Year High
Throughout the United States, 6,227 pedestrians died in motor vehicle accidents in 2018 alone, a record high in almost 40 years, with the majority of deaths occurring in cities including Houston, Miami, and Phoenix. A pedestrian accident or hit and run lawyer in Phoenix, AZ can advise victims about the merits of a potential personal injury claim.
According to the Arizona Republic, nearly 100 pedestrians are killed in Phoenix each year, the highest death rate among Arizona cities with a population of 10,000 people or more. The Arizona State Department of Transportation reported over 1,760 motor vehicle crashes in 2018 involving pedestrians, 245 of which resulted in fatalities, equating to a 63% increase since 2014.
The majority of pedestrians who are killed are hit when they cross a “midblock”, or an area outside of a marked crosswalk, on a stretch of road designed to allow for higher speeds, as a pedestrian accident lawyer in Phoenix, AZ can explain. The Republic’s report showed the city has been slow to address implementing new crosswalks or various other solutions in these areas.
The director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Alberto Gutier, said that a key reason for the spike in pedestrian crashes includes the fact that a lot of intersections all over the Valley are not marked with cross walks or traffic-control devices.
Some factors that increase the risk of pedestrian crashes include the speed of the vehicle, the lighting in the area, the time of day, pedestrians wearing dark clothing, and impairment of either the pedestrian or the vehicle’s driver. A hit and run lawyer in Phoenix, AZ can investigate potential fault, consult with an accident reconstructionist.
Other factors, such as stretches of road without crosswalks, pedestrians crossing roads built for rush-hour traffic, an increase of larger vehicles on the road, and both pedestrians and drivers distracted by their phones, may also be contributing to the increase in pedestrian accidents.
The number of consumers buying trucks and SUVs has far surpassed the number of consumers buying cars since 2013, with the number of registered SUVs increasing by 37% between 2009 and 2016 SUVs and trucks are bigger, heavier, and have a higher front end, making them much deadlier for pedestrians, they are more likely to hit a pedestrian in the head or chest rather than the legs.
In a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, SUVs had the biggest spike in single-vehicle fatal pedestrian crashes between 2009 and 2016, increasing by 81%.
Between the dozens of Phoenix streets identified as having at least 10 serious collisions or 5 deaths, similar characteristics were pinpointed that make these roads dangerous for pedestrians, including:
- Five lanes of travel
- Speed limits of 40 mph or higher
- Experienced pedestrian deaths removed from intersections with traffic signals
- Lacked a redesign of the street in at least two decades
As reported according to an analysis by Arizona Republic, the deadliest places for Phoenix pedestrians include the following:
- 27th Avenue just north of Bethany Home Road
- McDowell Road, from 40th to 43rd streets
- Northern Avenue close to 12th Street
- 7th Avenue near Buckeye Road
- Indian School Road, from 7th to 12th streets
- Indian School Road, from 19th to 23rd Avenues
- The area including 35th and Glendale Avenues
- Camelback Road, from 19th Avenue to Interstate 17
- 27th Avenue and Indian School Road
- 19th Avenue close to Dunlap Avenue
- Thomas Road, from Central Avenue to 3rd Street
In the event of a pedestrian being seriously injured or killed due to a vehicle crash, a hit and run lawyer in Phoenix, AZ should be contacted to assess the nature and extent of the injuries sustained. Contact Paul Englander, PLC today for more information.