|
Streets in America are unsafe and unforgiving for kids & pedestrians.
Speeding cars, streets without sidewalks place pedestrians at risk on America's roads
"We don't go walking on our street," says Evelyn Moe. "I don't even allow my kids out in the front yard unless I'm out there." The speed limit on the narrow two-lane street in front of the Moe's home is 35 miles an hour, but often vehicles whiz by exceeding 45. The street has no sidewalks nor shoulder for walking.
"There's just enough room for the cars to go by," Moe explained. "If you wanted to walk there, you'd be walking out in the muddy fields along the side of the road." "The road winds too," she added, "so there are a lot of blind curves and cars can pop out all of a sudden going pretty fast."
Sound Familiar? Approximately 6,500 pedestrians and 900 bicyclists are killed each year as a result of collisions with motor vehicles. As a group, pedestrians and bicyclists comprise more than 14 percent of all highway fatalities each year. Pedestrians account for as much as 40 to 50 percent of traffic fatalities in some large urban areas. The 1991 General Estimates System (GES) data indicate that 92,000 pedestrians and 67,000 bicyclists were injured in this type of crash.
Many more injuries are not reported to record-keeping authorities. A study by Stutts et al. (1990) showed that fewer than two-thirds of the bicycle-motor vehicle crashes that were serious enough to require emergency room treatment were reported on State motor vehicle crash files.
In the 1970's, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed a system of "typing" pedestrian and bicyclist crashes. Each identified crash type is defined by a specific sequence of events, and each has precipitating actions, predisposing factors, and characteristic populations and/or locations that can be targeted for intervention.
Examples of pedestrian-motor vehicle crash types include:
- Pedestrian darts out into traffic in a midblock area.
- Pedestrian struck from behind while walking or running along the road in the same direction as traffic.
- Vehicle making a turn at an intersection strikes a pedestrian.
- Pedestrian struck by a backing vehicle.
Examples of bicycle-motor vehicle crash types include:
- Motorist left turn facing the bicyclist.
- Bicyclist left turn in front of traffic.
- Motorist drive-out from a driveway or alley.
- Bicyclist ride-out from a stop sign or flashing red signal.
Children At Risk
According to figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT), 806 children, ages 15 and younger were killed in pedestrian crashes in the United States in 1994. These data also show that on average, 10 boys and 5 girls, in that same age bracket, died each week in a pedestrian crash in 1994.
The incidence of injuries among children due to pedestrian crashes is even higher. Many of these injuries are also quite grave. The USDOT figures for that year show that 30,833 children, ages 15 and younger, were injured in pedestrian crashes. Those figures also show that 340 boys and 250 girls, ages 15 and younger, were injured each week in pedestrian crashes.
The injury and fatality rates for young pedestrians are troubling, but they can be changed, said Partnership member Dr. Alfred Farina, a research psychologist in charge of pedestrian and bicycle safety research for the USDOT National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
"Kids are unacquainted with the dangers of the road and they also tend to think of adults as people who take care of children and that attitude may extend to how they think of drivers," Dr. Farina said.
"We did a study one time about the street crossing behaviors of kids, ranging in age from kindergartners to third graders," he said. What we found was that about 90 percent of the crossings made by young children were in error. "
One of the most common errors young children make, Dr. Farina said, is to a dart out" into the street without first checking left, right and then left again for traffic. In fact, 46 percent of the pedestrian crashes involving children, ages 5 through 14, can be attributed to "dart out" behavior.
Another factor contributing to child pedestrian crashes is that many parents tend to overestimate their child's ability to deal with street conditions, said John Moffat, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
Moffat is a member of the National Association of Governors' Highway Safety Representatives, which is a member of the Partnership.
Pedestrian crashes are one of the biggest killers of children ages 5 to 9," he said. "That's because children often dart out into the road and by the time a driver detects them and is able to stop, it is often too late."
A victim of serious injury should find a lawyer who works closely with medical providers as well as the client and his or her family to provide the needed background information necessary to produce an accurate diagnosis. If you or someone you love suffers from a serious injury as a result of the negligence of another, please fill out the form below. An attorney will review your form and may contact you to discuss your case.
Injured Person Information:
Accident / Injury Information:
Case Description*
Please explain exactly what happened, trying to state
as thoroughly as possible who you believe was responsible
and why you believe that person was negligent:
|
Please explain the full extent of the victims injuries:
|
Comments / Additional Information
Is there anything else that would assist us in
understanding the facts of your case?
|
| 
