When pedestrians take to the streets in Georgia, there is always the chance that they will be in pedestrian-motor vehicle accidents. These crashes can have deadly consequences as pedestrians are lacking in protection and will often suffer fatal injuries. Research is important to try and reduce the number of pedestrian accidents that happen.
One new study shows not only that pedestrian fatalities are on the rise and have reached their highest levels since 1990, but particularly Georgia is near the top of the list for least safe states for pedestrians. People who have been hurt or lost a loved one in these accidents should pay attention to the numbers as they can be important when considering a lawsuit to secure compensation.
The Governors Highway Safety Association says that approximately 6,227 pedestrians were killed in a motor vehicle crash in 2018. It must be noted that GHSA used the first six months of the year to come to its conclusions and estimated the total for the whole year. Georgia is one of four states in the U.S. along with Texas, California and Arizona that accrued more than 50 percent of all pedestrian fatalities for the first half of 2018. One-third of the U.S. population is in these states.
For Georgia, there were 133 pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2018. It was eighth in the U.S. when assessing the numbers based on how many occurred for every 100,000 people. In the U.S. overall, the number of pedestrian fatalities had reached its historical low with slightly more than 4,100 in 2009. 2018 rose to one of the worst years on record. The study pointed out that a large percentage of pedestrian fatalities happen at night.
Many blame the proliferation of smartphones for the rise as drivers tend to be distracted by them. However, people are walking more, increasing the pool of pedestrians. Drivers are engaging in unsafe behaviors in addition to distracted driving by speeding. SUVs are considered a problem since the number of pedestrian fatalities after being hit by an SUV has risen by half since 2013.
Walking is an admirable method of getting around, but people should be alert and aware of the risk they face because of drivers who might not be behaving in a safe and legal manner when operating their vehicles. After a pedestrian accident, the costs and other aspects of the unexpected injuries and death can be astronomical and lead to lifelong problems for the injured person and his or her family. Having legal assistance is important to file a lawsuit and a law firm that helps pedestrians who have been hit in motor vehicle accidents is vital to a case.
