It was a busy traffic day as you walked down the street intending to meet an old friend for lunch. You were listening to some great Zydeco music as you stepped onto a crosswalk and never heard the car that was coming around the corner. Fortunately, you survived but sustained multiple injuries. You would think walking is a relatively safe activity, but you are among tens of thousands of pedestrians across the country injured every year. So what are the major contributors to these accidents?
Focusing on electronics
As is also the case with drivers, many pedestrians are distracted by their mobile devices. People on foot could be emailing, texting, reading articles, checking into Facebook, whatever. Using any kind of electronic device while walking is not a good idea if doing so puts you at risk of a collision with a motor vehicle.
Not hearing quiet cars
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, hybrids and battery-operated vehicles are 40 percent more likely to hit walkers than are gasoline-powered cars. The reason: hybrids are so quiet that pedestrians may not hear them approaching.
Wearing black after dark
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that half of all pedestrian accidents take place on weekends, and 70 percent occur after dark. People wearing dark colors should take extra care because they will not be as easy to spot as people who are wearing white or bright colors, especially if the lighting in the area is poor.
Ignoring left-hand turns
Drivers making left-hand turns strike three times as many pedestrians as those making right-hand turns. The reason is that everyone is looking elsewhere: The driver is focusing on getting through the intersection and the walker is looking straight ahead.
Walkers are plentiful in the New Orleans area, and pedestrians who have suffered injuries may need legal advocacy in order to obtain full and fair compensation for injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can carefully review the facts of your case, stand up for your rights and help you obtain compensation for various costs resulting from the crash.
