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3 causes of pedestrian accidents

On Behalf of | Apr 10, 2023 | Personal Injury |

The number of pedestrian accidents keeps increasing. In 2020, for example, 6,516 pedestrians were killed and 55,000 injured countrywide, which is alarming. You should be free and safe to walk when you want to. However, the negligent actions of some drivers may make this impossible.

The following are three causes of pedestrian accidents:

1. Drunk driving

Driving while drunk is one of the most dangerous behaviors on the road. A drunk driver has impaired judgment, which can lead to risky behavior. They also have impaired vision and delayed reaction times, making it hard to see a pedestrian crossing the street and harder to avoid hitting them.

2. Distracted driving

Drivers distracted by their phones, food, billboards and even their passengers can be dangerous to pedestrians. This is because these drivers aren’t paying attention to the road – they may fail to see a pedestrian or do so when it’s late. For instance, when drivers drop food from a drive-thru meal, they may pick it up, taking their eyes off the road and increasing their chances of hitting a pedestrian. 

3. Poor night vision

The rate of pedestrian accidents is higher at night  — and that’s tied to lower visibility in the dark and poor vision on the part of drivers. However, despite a pedestrian observing safety measures, such as wearing bright clothes and obeying road rules, they may still be hit by a negligent driver. Older drivers experience gradual night vision loss, so they may not even be aware of the problem until they hit something — or someone.

A significant percentage of pedestrian accidents are avoidable. If you are injured by a driver when walking around your neighborhood or crossing a street, you should consider your options to get the compensation you deserve.