Pedestrian injuries and fatalities skyrocketed in 2010 according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but no one seems to know why.
Road fatalities are dropping in many categories, but pedestrian deaths rose 4.2 percent and pedestrian injuries went up 19 percent over the previous year, according to a December story in USA Today.
Officials say the increase could be because we have recently built increasing numbers of wider, higher speed and higher volume roads that were not built with pedestrians or bikers in mind.
Also, more people have moved to suburban areas that were not designed for pedestrian traffic. This pedestrian unfriendly environment inevitably leads to more walkers getting hit by cars, according to experts.
Some research has suggested that pedestrians suffer from the same distractions, such as talking on mobile phones and texting, that drivers encounter. Walking and texting is every bit as dangerous as driving and texting and may be more deadly since a pedestrian is much more vulnerable than a driver, according to USA Today.
It has been difficult for researchers to analyze the issue of mobile phone use because law enforcement agencies are not required to indicate whether a pedestrian was on the phone or using a smartphone when he or she was struck by a car.
Alcohol also plays a part in pedestrian accidents too. Alcohol was involved in about half of the pedestrian accidents, whether the driver or the pedestrian was intoxicated.
Chicago personal injury attorney Paul Greenberg has experience representing clients who have been struck by automobiles and commercial vehicles. To learn more, call 877-595-HURT (4878) or visit more of https://briskmanandbriskman.com.