Pedestrian Fatalities Are Common Throughout the U.S.

 Posted on October 19,2018 in Pedestrian Accidents

Illinois State Police are continuing to investigate a collision that took place recently on I-94. The accident, which occurred near the Bishop Ford Expressway, only involved one vehicle, but it resulted in fatal injuries to a pedestrian. 

Thousands of pedestrians across the country choose to walk to work each day. While walking is an environmentally-conscious, healthy, and therapeutic way to make your commute to work, it does come with a certain level of danger. In 2015, 129,000 Americans were hospitalized due to injuries suffered in pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one suffer an injury while commuting to work, it is entirely likely that your injuries were due to the negligence of a driver. 

Pedestrian Injuries Across the United States 

Pedestrian injuries continue to pose a major problem, especially throughout America’s urban centers. In 2015 alone, 5,376 American pedestrians were fatally injured in motor vehicle collisions. That means that an American pedestrian is fatally injured every two hours. Due to the size and weight of motor vehicles, pedestrians are highly likely to suffer fatal injuries in a collision. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to suffer fatal injuries in pedestrian accidents than motor vehicle drivers or passengers. 

Increasing Pedestrian Safety

While pedestrians always face some risk when traveling in metropolitan areas, there are some steps that can be taken to increase pedestrian safety. One thing you can do is take care of your loved ones. Both elderly people and young children face an increased risk of serious injury in pedestrian accidents. Pedestrians over the age of 65 accounted for nearly 20% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2015. For children under the age of 15, pedestrian fatalities accounted for 20% of all motor vehicle fatalities among that age demographic. 

As law enforcement officials continue to work to increase pedestrian safety, one of their main tactics is fighting against drunk driving. According to the CDC, approximately 48% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2015 involved an inebriated driver. 

Contact a Lake County Personal Injury Lawyer

Due to the growing population of the greater Chicago area, pedestrian injuries are much more common than most of us would like to assume. If you or a loved one have been injured in an automobile accident, you should seek out legal representation and learn about your options for pursuing compensation from negligent drivers. At Salvi and Maher, L.L.C., our team of personal injury attorneys have helped hundreds of clients recover from car accidents both emotionally and financially. To set up a free consultation with a Waukegan pedestrian accident attorney, call us today at 847-662-3303. 

Sources: 

https://wgntv.com/2018/10/06/fatal-pedestrian-accident-on-bishop-ford/

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/pedestrian_safety/index.html