Pedestrian Accidents: Common Causes And Factors That Make Them Dangerous
Were you recently in a pedestrian accident? Do you have severe injuries from the trauma? If so, you will need the help of a pedestrian accident attorney. You can ask your family or friends for recommendations or visit this pedestrian accident lawyer's website.
To avoid pedestrian accidents in the future, we explain the most common causes of pedestrian accidents below and detail what can make them more dangerous. Are you ready to learn all about it? Then, let’s get started!
Typical Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Generally, the type of things that can lead to pedestrian accidents includes traffic problems like left turns, poor visibility, and faded crosswalks. Also, a few other causes of pedestrian accidents include:
Bad weather
Jaywalking
Pedestrians wearing dark clothing at night
Distracted drivers
Left Turns for Drivers
When turning right, drivers don’t have to look at the other traffic lane. However, whenever they make a left turn, they must look at two lanes of traffic. Therefore, drivers in these scenarios need to focus on other vehicles more than on possible pedestrians.
As such, it’s prudent to keep your eyes out for turning cars when crossing the street to avoid a collision.
Bad Weather
All types of weather conditions can also cause a pedestrian accident. For instance, in the wintertime, the roads may become icy. A pedestrian could trip on an icy road when crossing the street, or a car could swerve and hit someone during icy conditions.
Heavy rain, sleet, snow, or fog can also make visibility inferior and cause an accident. During rainstorms, wet roads can also lead pedestrians to trip and fall.
Jaywalking
When pedestrians start crossing streets where there are no crosswalks, they are jaywalking and increasing their risk of pedestrian accidents. In these cases, it is incredibly important for pedestrians to yield to automobiles and look out for cars.
Jaywalking is the most common way that pedestrians end up injured or even killed due to an accident.
Distracted Drivers
With more drivers using cell phones and GPS devices when driving on the road, the number of pedestrian accidents and other car accidents has increased tremendously. Essentially, distracted drivers are a major cause of pedestrian accidents.
If you can prove a driver was texting and driving, you can likely get a settlement in your case.
Wearing Dark Clothing at Night
When you wear dark clothing at night, drivers are unlikely to see you. They may end up seeing you when it’s too late and accidentally collide the car right into you. A large number of pedestrian deaths occur in the dark.
To keep yourself safe when walking outdoors at night, carry a flashlight and wear reflective clothing.
Poor Visibility
Sometimes, drivers may face poor visibility due to road conditions, weather, or broken headlights. Improper use of headlights may lead drivers to barely see the road. For example, using headlights on a foggy night may reduce visibility even more.
Faded or Unmarked Crosswalks
Well-painted crosswalks play an essential role in saving the lives of pedestrians every day. Drivers can usually clearly see crosswalks when driving their vehicles and stop whenever a pedestrian crosses the road.
However, unmarked crossings or crosswalks with faded paint may potentially increase the risk of pedestrian accidents and create dangerous situations.
What Makes These Factors Dangerous?
These common causes of pedestrian accidents are truly dangerous, as they may lead to serious injuries or even death. Drivers can make the situation more dangerous if they speed, text on their phones, use handheld devices while driving, or consume alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
Final Thoughts
Learning about the most common causes of pedestrian accidents will help you learn how best to avoid getting injured from such an unfortunate incident. However, if you were injured in a pedestrian accident, contact a personal injury lawyer to help you get the compensation you deserve.
