It is not news that pedestrian accidents are on the rise in California but what about the rest of the country? We have talked about why these accidents are increasing and we have talked about how they coincide with a rise in car accidents in general but today we will discuss how the same issues are affecting the rest of the country.
You can read on to learn the devastating statistics on countrywide fatal car and pedestrian accidents but if you have been impacted by an accident then we hope you will contact us. You can reach The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker by calling 800-333-0000. Ask for a free consultation and we will take the time to understand your case and give you our best legal advice.
The cause of this increase is not a surprise: Distracted driving
As we have said in the past, there seems to be a clear reason for this increase: Driver’s distractions. One would think that with advanced safety features, cars are safer than ever before and fatal car accidents would be on the decline. This is not the case and experts mostly agree that driver distraction is to blame. Note that the rise in pedestrian deaths is largely attributed to driver distraction as well as pedestrian distraction.
A study out of Detroit is making people take notice
A recent article in Detroit’s local paper has shown that pedestrian deaths have been growing startling in the last decade. They looked at the years between 2009 and 2016 and found that pedestrian deaths went up by nearly 50%. In that same period of time, car accident fatalities when up more than 10%. They also looked at stats from that same period of time to discover that cellphone usage when up by more than 230%. When consider together, this is not surprising.
Cell phones are not the only culprit
While cellphones often get the blame – and for good reason – they are not the only cause of the increases. Part of the issue is that cars have so much more technology in them. With infotainment, new technology screens, and other technology, drivers are likely to take their hands from the wheel for long than they used to when just changing a radio channel, and they are more likely to take their eyes from the road more often and for longer.
Pedestrians are sometimes at fault
It is also important to note that drivers are not the only at-fault parties – pedestrians are also more likely to be looking at their phones or talking on their phones. These can lead to accidents when pedestrians walk into the street or do not notice that a car is approaching.
No matter which side you were on, if you were in an accident that was caused by another person acting recklessly or dangerously, then it is time to contact a personal injury attorney to discover what your options are. You can reach The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker by calling 800-333-0000 and we will offer a free legal consultation.
