Look Both Ways: The Dangers of Pedestrian Accidents
Posted by
Lauren KayOctober 27, 2009 10:42 PMTags:
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When we think of car accidents, we usually think of vehicle-on-vehicle collisions. Unfortunately, for this 81 year-old Chicago man, some car accidents involve pedestrians, usually with fatal consequences:
An 81-year-old man died Tuesday after being struck by a car in the Gold Coast neighborhood 17 days earlier, officials said.
Saul Carb, of the 900 block of North Lake Shore Drive, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Tuesday at 12:37 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy determined that he died from his injuries from the accident.
Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez said Carb was a pedestrian when he was struck by a Ford Escape sport utility vehicle at 980 N. Michigan Avenue at about 7:49 p.m. Sept. 20.
Car accidents that involve pedestrians are obviously much more dangerous to the people outside the car than to the people inside the car, and every year in America about 70,000 pedestrians are either killed or seriously injured. While pedestrian accidents don't make up a vast majority of car accident fatalities annually (only about 11%), they are the second most common cause of motor vehicle death.
There are two main causes for car-pedestrian collisions: pedestrian error and driver error. Pedestrian error usually involves the pedestrian disregarding traffic lights, jaywalking, or children darting into traffic (which can endanger both the child and the pursuing parent or guardian). Driver error also stems from the disregard of traffic signals and laws, but it also comes from a lack of attention paid by the driver to people that are already in the road. Not surprisingly, driving while under the influence can cause pedestrian accidents very easily.
Other factors that can contribute to a pedestrian accident include:
-Time of day (45% of all pedestrian accidents occur from 6 pm- midnight)
-Day of the week (risk is much greater on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday)
- Age (children under 16 are the most likely to be victims of a pedestrian accident)
- Speed of the vehicle (the faster the vehicle is going, the less likely it will be able to stop before a collision, and the more likely it is that the collision will be fatal to the pedestrian)
A car-pedestrian collision is traumatic for both the driver and the pedestrian. Obviously, no one wants to be struck by a moving vehicle, but no one wants to bear the guilt and shame of having injured another human being either. Simple precautions on both ends can help prevent a disaster. Pedestrians should always obey traffic signals and walk in designated crosswalks, only when it is safe. Pedestrians who are accompanied by small children should be especially careful not to let the child run into traffic. Drivers should always be attentive to the road, follow speeding and traffic laws, and drive soberly, especially in the evenings and late at night, when it is harder to see the road. As with all types of vehicular accidents, pedestrian accidents are easily avoidable, if we just use our heads.