While walking is a great form of physical fitness, it may be more dangerous than you think. According to the CDC, in 2015, 5,376 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents. Even more shocking, 129,000 pedestrians were treated in an emergency facility for injuries directly related to a motor vehicle accident.
Who’s in Danger?
Reports from the CDC show that older adults are more susceptible to pedestrian injuries. Approximately 19% of all pedestrian deaths are adults older than the age of 65. Also, one in every five kids under the age of 16 who were killed in traffic accidents were pedestrians. We also tend to see that most of these pedestrian related accidents occur in urban areas and at night. So why are pedestrian accidents so common? Well, often times the driver of the car is either distracted, failing to yield, speeding or under the influence. However, pedestrians may also cause these accidents by disregarding the “wait” signal at stop lights, failing to use marked crosswalks, and entering the road way which leads to a disruption in the traffic flow.
Ways of Prevention
Even though the physical fitness aspect of walking might be very appealing to you, knowing how to walk safely is very important. Make sure that you are using a designated and properly marked crosswalk. Also, take extra precautions to make yourself more visible at night. Carry a flash light and wear reflective clothing to ensure that cars can see you before it is too late. The bottom line is, make sure you are aware of your surroundings while walking. Do not be distracted or be involved in horseplay while near the street. However, if you do suffer from a traffic accident where you suffered injuries as a pedestrian, feel free to call the professionals at The Witt Law Firm.