As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), critical road accidents involving pedestrians are increasing, with 9843 pedestrian deaths in the year 2019, a 5% rise from 2018. It is not surprising that a pedestrian will be seriously injured when he is hit by a vehicle driving at higher speeds. A driver can gravely injure a pedestrian by just driving at a speed of 10 miles per hour.
Since there is a larger number of cases where pedestrians get hit by cars, it is important to heighten their safety. Despite taking safety measures, accidents still happen every day. The injuries can get extreme when pedestrians are hit by vehicles. Here are a few facts about pedestrian accidents.
- Every year, there are 60,000 pedestrians who are injured and 4000 who are killed in accidents with vehicles
- Most pedestrian collisions happen in urban areas
- More than 70% of pedestrian fatalities occur outside an intersection
- Nearly 40% of pedestrian fatalities involve a person who is intoxicated and also include drunk drivers
- Every 9 minutes, a pedestrian is injured and every 115 minutes, a pedestrian is killed
- Males are more injured than females
- The common time of the day when pedestrian accidents happen is between 6 PM and 12 AM
Injuries to the lower part of the body
When pedestrians come in contact with a car accident, one of the first parts of the body of a pedestrian that suffers the injury is the lower body. Nearly 60% of the pedestrians suffer from injuries in the lower part of their bodies. The trauma that happens to the muscles and ligaments, lacerations, and broken bones are also too common.
Injuries in the face, neck, and head
Another part of the body that is impacted is the face, neck, or head. Such injuries only occur when these parts of the body are hit by the hood or windshield. Around 40% of pedestrians suffer from an injury to their face, neck, or head. A few of the most common instances of such injuries are vertebrae injuries, shoulder displacement, jaw fractures, neck injuries, lacerations, damage to the skull, and concussions.
The highest extremities of pedestrian accidents
The last impact, in most cases, is when a pedestrian lands on the hood of the car or when they’re tossed around the entire vehicle. Around 30% of the pedestrians experience an injury in their upper body and this is the riskiest factor. There are different kinds of musculoskeletal injuries that may occur in the wrists, arms, and hands.
Vital tips to maintain the safety of pedestrians
Being a pedestrian, one of the best things that you can do is to abide by the laws. As per your state statutes, there are certain expectations to maintain safety, like:
- After a signal is given, don’t enter a railroad crossing or a bridge
- Pedestrians should never walk or run into the lane of a vehicle
- Obey all traffic signals and follow them
- Whenever a sidewalk is there, use it
- Pedestrians should cross a road at the right angle
So, we all have to maintain minimum safety as a pedestrian in order to reduce pedestrian deaths in a year. Take the necessary precautions and be safe. Please check out Personal Injury Lawyers in Dothan, AL