You face some serious risks as a pedestrian in the United States. Every year, thousands of people lose their lives, and it’s not getting any better. It’s time to take a long hard look at this problem to determine what can be done.
In 2016, reports show that 5,987 people lost their lives as pedestrians. In analyzing the data for 2017, experts found that there were 2,636 pedestrian deaths that happened from January to June alone — the first six months of the year. Over the course of the year, that led to 5,984 deaths.
As you can see, that’s a decline of just three deaths from one year to the next, which is virtually no change at all. The difference could simply be how fast the emergency crews got to the scene or how qualified doctors and surgeons were at the nearest hospital. While those factors are important, that does not mean that things are any safer when it comes to pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic.
Why aren’t things getting better? One potential reason that reports have looked into is the use of smartphones. This has seen “dramatic growth” in recent years. Are distracted drivers hitting pedestrians because they’re not watching the road? Are distracted pedestrians walking into traffic?
Another factor that experts have looked into is the way that some states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Has this increased the dangers in any significant way? Though this hasn’t happened in Florida yet, it’s worth noting on a national basis.
With risks like this, it is crucial that injured pedestrians know all of their options to seek financial compensation.
