Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

When a pedestrian is involved in an accident with a motor vehicle, the results can be catastrophic. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 5,000 pedestrians are fatally injured in accidents with motor vehicles each year, and over 75,000 more pedestrians suffer serious injury. Other types of pedestrian accidents happen as a result of poor property maintenance and negligence.

Pedestrians make up 11 percent of all people traveling outdoors, but they account for 13 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. Even the most safety conscious pedestrians can be seriously injured by an automobile, uneven sidewalk and road surfaces that cause slip and falls, or by the negligence of another person. The most common causes of pedestrian accidents include:

• Distracted Driving: Drivers that choose to text, talk on their cell phone, eat, use electronic navigation systems, or tend to passengers in the car put everyone on the road in danger of a serious accident. Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable to distracted drivers that may fail to see a stop sign or stop light, drift over traffic lanes, or fail to see them in their path.

• Speeding: Speeding is one of the most common causes of car accidents and has the highest rate of fatalities when these accidents involve pedestrians. Vehicles traveling over the local speed limits leave little time to react, slow down, or stop when they suddenly encounter a pedestrian. Likewise, pedestrians have little chance to avoid a speeding vehicle, and can be thrown hundreds of feet in the air when they collide with the vehicle.

• Failure to Obey Traffic Signs and Signals: Pedestrians have the right of way in designated crosswalks and intersections. Drivers that fail to obey traffic signs and signals cause accidents that injure multiple pedestrians at one time. Cars and trucks that veer into unsuspecting pedestrians can cause significant injuries that often lead to death.

• Weather Conditions: There is little anyone can do to control the weather, but when rain, snow, and ice occur, drivers need to proceed with caution. Traveling at slow speeds, leaving ample room between vehicles, and leaving enough time to slow and stop a vehicle in slippery or icy conditions is essential to avoid a pedestrian accident. Property owners and business owners have a legal responsibility to shovel their sidewalks and clear their parking lots to ensure the safety of pedestrians and drivers.

• Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol: There is no dispute to the fact that drunk and drugged drivers cause fatal accidents. When a drunk or drugged driver operates their vehicle, pedestrians are at risk for a serious and often fatal accident. Slowed reaction times, blurred vision, falling asleep behind the wheel, and poor judgment can cause a car to run red lights and traffic signals, run off the road, and decrease visibility. Pedestrians that are hit by a drunk or drugged driver suffer catastrophic injuries.

New Brunswick Pedestrian Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Advocate for Pedestrian Safety

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, call the New Brunswick pedestrian accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr at 877-249-4600 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today. Based in Highland Park, New Jersey, we work with clients throughout the surrounding areas, including New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia.