Articles Posted in Pedestrian accidents

Every year, approximately 228 people are killed in back over pedestrian accidents that are caused when drivers are backing out their cars, and fail to notice pedestrians behind. Approximately 100 of those wrongful deaths every year include little children, who are tragically killed when their parents are backing out of the garage and run over them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now proposed backup camera systems that would prevent such accidents.

According to the NHTSA, more than 70,000 injuries occur in back over pedestrian accidents every year. Of these, more than 2,000 injuries involve little children. According to the federal agency, every year, between 95 and 112 lives could be saved in back over pedestrian accidents if such cameras are mandated in all vehicles. Besides, installation of these cameras could prevent up to 8,300 injuries. The NHTSA plans to require automakers to have these backup camera systems installed in 10% of their vehicles by September 2012, 40% of their vehicles by September 2013, and in all their vehicles by September 2014.

The biggest tragedy in most back over accidents involving children, is that the person driving the car is usually a parent, grandparent or a close relative. These pedestrian accidents often involve bigger vehicles, like sports utility vehicles and minivans. These vehicles are also heavily popular with families. Blind spots in a motorist’s rear vision may block a little child who is playing, walking or standing behind a car, with terrible consequences.

The end of daylight saving time and the setting of clocks an hour back, could mean an increased risk of auto and other accidents in Atlanta, especially those involving pedestrians.That warning comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is cautioning motorists in Georgia and around the country to take special care to avoid pedestrians.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, out of the 4,092 pedestrian fatalities that occurred last year, 25 percent occurred between 4 PM and 8 PM, while 13 percent occurred between 4 AM and 8 AM.These are some of the most dangerous times for motorists and pedestrians.As motorists get used to the new low-light driving conditions, they are much more likely to miss pedestrians walking on the street.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is warning that adjusting to the new driving conditions can take time, and voters may be disoriented, confused or just plain distracted during these times.

It’s important for motorists to look out especially carefully for pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks.Make sure that your windshield, mirrors and windows are clean, so that you can see pedestrians and other motorists.Remember that many pedestrians are wearing earmuffs and hats at this time of the year, and may not be able to hear your vehicle.Slow down speeds.

Children in Georgia, who are out trick-or-treating on Halloween, have an increased risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident.According to the NHTSA, more than 4,000 children between 5 and 14 are injured every year in pedestrian accidents on Halloween.

Both parents and motorists have a big role to play in keeping children safe over Halloween by preventing pedestrian accidents.If your child is trick-or-treating on Halloween, make sure that there’s an escort with the children at all times.Explain all traffic safety rules to your child.Avoid dressing up a child in large and cumbersome costumes that can pose a potential slip and fall hazard.The costumes must be simple, but as colorful as possible.Bright colors can help a driver see your child in the dark.If that’s not possible, stick some reflective tape on the costume.Try and avoid masks and large hats as much as possible.These may obstruct your child’s vision, and he may fail to notice an approaching car.Facial makeup can easily substitute for a mask. Children must also avoid trick-or-treating in unlit or busy areas.

Motorists can do their bit by being aware that there are hundreds of children out there for whom safety might be a low priority. Unless it is it absolutely essential, avoid driving on Halloween night.If you have to drive, make sure that you are extra focused and alert.Avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, and switch off all distractions while driving.That includes your music system, your GPS navigation system and your cell phones and Blackberry/iPhones.Look out especially hard for children at crowded intersections or near crosswalks.Watch out for children who may suddenly dart into the road.

Atlanta Is Most Dangerous City in the World for Pedestrians

GOOD magazine has taken pedestrian fatality statistics from 21 international cities, and has ranked them on safety.It isn’t surprising, but still a matter of shame to us, that that the city of Atlanta has been named the most dangerous in the world for those who wish to walk.

In Atlanta, according to the study, there are 10.97 pedestrian fatalities for every 100,000 pedestrians.Most of the other positions on the list are also taken up by American cities, outlining the danger pedestrians in the US face compared to those in some European and Asian cities.Detroit, Los Angeles, Baltimore Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Boston and Seattle occupied the other top positions on the list.New York and Portland seem to be some of the safest large cities in the US for pedestrians.Even Tokyo with its heavy density of population seems to be a much safer city for pedestrians than most American cities.

Last year, Transportation for America named the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta area as the 10th deadliest area for pedestrians in the country. A new report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows that these dangerous conditions are increasing, because of the lack of sufficient crosswalks for pedestrians. Further, according to the report, pedestrians may be at a greater danger in the suburban metro Atlanta area where motorists may not expect pedestrians and where there are few strategically placed crosswalks, than on city streets.

This month, a mother who lost a child in a pedestrian accident will face trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. In 2008, Raquel Nelson was walking with her four children outside the crosswalk in Cobb County, when one of the children was struck and killed by a motorist. The loss of a child was a tragedy too much for a mother’s heart to bear, but there was more cruelty in store for Nelson. She was immediately charged, and found that public opinion was strongly against her. No one found it fit to pursue the fact that there were few crosswalks at the area where the accident took place.

Last month, a similar accident killed a four-year-old boy. The mother had been crossing the street outside the crosswalk with the boy and her other children, when he was killed by a motorist. The nearest crosswalk was at least 3/10^th of a mile in the either direction. It was late, and the family was in a hurry to get into a bus that had just stopped at a bus stop on the other side of the street.

It wasn’t the first time that Cynthia Parham had knocked over a person and fled the scene of the accident. She had a prior hit-and-run conviction back in 1983, and is now accused of another hit-and-run in Atlanta, that seriously injured an eight-year-old boy.

The most recent accident occurred on 10 May, when the victim was walking with his mother on a crosswalk at an intersection near interstate 285. Parham’s car struck the boy, and dragged him approximately 150 feet. He sustained serious life threatening injuries. Parham left the scene of the accident. Fortunately, witnesses at the scene were able to testify to police, and officers located the car at her home a short while later.

It now turns out that Parham has had several brushes with the law. She was convicted for hit-and-run back in 1983. She also served six months in prison on charges of burglary in 1982. She has also been involved in a whole bunch of other cases involving criminal trespass, forgery and simple assault. In 1995, she faced misdemeanor charges of being party to a crime, but that charge was later dismissed.

Georgia Pedestrians at Risk from Shortage of Crosswalks

A pedestrian accident last week in Marietta killed a four-your-old boy and seriously injured his mother and sister. The family was crossing the road in front of their apartment when they were struck by a van. The driver of the van drove off from the scene, but was traced later and arrested.

As Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers, we often come across the single most important question that people seem to ask whenever a pedestrian is involved in a collision. Was the person walking on a crosswalk?

Teenager Killed in Stone Mountain Pedestrian Accident

A Stone Mountain teenager was killed last week in an accident involving a teen motorist. Tanesha Williams was walking to her mother’s home after school when she was struck by the car.According to DeKalb County Police, the 17-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle and drove on to the sidewalk. The other two students with Tanesha suffered moderate injuries. Tanesha died later of her injuries. She was all of 14 years old.

Meanwhile, detectives believe that the teen motorist was likely trying to pass a second car at a high rate of speed. This likely caused the driver to lose control of the car, and driving up on the sidewalk and hitting the three pedestrians. Police still don’t know whether the second car was involved in the accident or if the two cars were racing.

As Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers, we haven’t been blind to the lack of proper infrastructure that makes Atlanta such a dangerous place for pedestrians. Now comes a new study that confirms the Atlanta metropolitan area as one of the most treacherous places for pedestrians in the US.

The rankings have been developed by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, which recently released a report on the state of pedestrian safety in the country. The picture is bleak. According to the report, approximately 5,000 pedestrians die every year in traffic accidents.

The list of 10 most dangerous metropolitan areas has Florida occupying the first four spots making it a nightmare destination for pedestrians. Memphis is at number 5, followed by Raleigh –Cary, North Carolina, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, Houston-Sugarland- Bay Town, TX, Birmingham-Hoover, AL, with Atlanta- Sandy Springs- Marietta occupying the 10^th spot. To generate accurate rankings, the researchers developed a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) to clearly and correctly compare metropolitan areas based on actual danger to pedestrians.

At our Georgia personal injury law firm, we’ve seen the consequences of being distracted behind the wheel through cell phone use, changing CDs etc., and the devastating motor vehicle accidents these behaviors can cause. A new study shows that these distractions are just as dangerous for their ability to cause pedestrian accidents.

Research is being conducted at the Ohio State University to determine the effect that the use of electronic devices, including cell phones and MP3 players has on pedestrians.According to this report, incidents of distracted pedestrians being hit by cars and even trains are becoming more frequent.

Multitasking is a fact of modern life, and pedestrians who can’t fight the urge to slip on their headphones or stay in touch with the office on their cell phone are at an increased risk of being involved in an accident.We don’t think twice when we see a pedestrian walking with his headset on, swaying to the music, but researchers and doctors are worried that the distractions caused by the use of such electronic devices are severe enough to be a health hazard. The number of pedestrians being rushed to emergency rooms with injuries sustained being struck by vehicles while they were talking or text messaging on their cell phone or listening to music, have increased.These pedestrians are at a high risk of being unable to hear a car horn, or notice a motorcycle making a turn just ahead of them.It’s not just those walking on the streets that are at risk from such distractions. In the last two months, at least two people in North Carolina alone were killed as they walked on train tracks with music playing on their headsets.They failed to hear the train engine as it came hurtling towards them.