What Should Be Done to Curb Jaywalking?

Sandy Grinnell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:12:31 GMT

When police try to enforce jaywalking laws, it's often a cause for a lot of verbal bashing by the anti-government, anti-establishment types and even some city officials. See what happened last July when police officials in the City of Savannah tried to make their city safer for pedestrians by issuing jaywalking tickets. Now their fines were out of line, but some complained just about the enforcement.

But what should be done? Just last night on my way home I had a man cross against the light with his two young children running along behind him. Now we had the green light but traffic had to wait for them to all get across. Then at the next light, another man ran into traffic - crossing on the green light and again cars had to screech to a halt to miss him. You also see a lot of folks step out between parked cars to cross the street, practically scaring the living daylights out of the drivers who pass them. Then yesterday an elderly woman in South Daytona tried to cross the street in her motorized wheelchair, not at a crosswalk, and unfortunately was struck and killed by a passing vehicle.

Now if a pedestrian, or individual in a wheelchair, is hit and found to be at fault, of course the driver would not be cited. The pedestrian would cited if they lived through accident. But who wants to go through life knowing you killed someone with your car - even if it wasn't your fault? I can imagine you would still have nightmares.

Apparently walking to the corner to cross and then waiting for the light is just too much trouble. So what's the solution? Do we need more education? More enforcement? I don't have an answer - but I do know that I stay vigilant watching for jaywalkers just waiting to step in front of my car.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sandy Grinnell

Latest Pedestrian v. Auto Accident Statistics

Ed Normand — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:25:00 GMT

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued the latest statistics on accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles in the United States. The report details the number of pedestrian traffic related fatalities and injuries. The report shows that a pedestrian dies from a motor vehicle related collision once, on average, every 113 minutes and a pedestrian is injured in a traffic incident about every 8 minutes.

The totals reveal that in the year 2007 4,654 pedestrians died in the United States and 70,000 were injured in traffic accidents in the United States. The statistics also provide information about the location and conditions at the time of the traffic accidents. By far the majority (73%) of the deaths happened in urban areas and outside of crosswalks away from intersections (77%). Most happened in good weather (90%), and most were at night (67%). The most alarming (but not surprising statistic) was that alcohol was found in a driver or the pedestrian Alcohol involvement in 49 percent of the fatal pedestrian traffic accidents. More children and elderly are involved in traffic crashes involving pedestrians than other victims.

Analysis of the statistics tells us to be careful crossing outside of an intersection and that drunk driving kills. Of course, we already knew that.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer - Pedestrian Accidents

What Should Be Done to Curb Jaywalking?

Latest Pedestrian v. Auto Accident Statistics