Pedestrian safety is a serious concern throughout the United States. Every year, government agencies gather information about injuries and fatalities from pedestrian accidents, in an effort to understand the situation better and devise better safety measures to prevent pedestrian accidents. Although agencies do their part, Colorado motorists and pedestrians should also do their share as well. Having basic knowledge can go a long way in preventing accidents.
What are the latest pedestrian accident figures? According to the statistics prepared by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, pedestrian fatalities increased between 2010 and 2013. This was compared with the previous four years – 2006 to 2009 – when the figures decreased. How did Colorado fare, according to the recent statistics? Colorado also saw an increase in pedestrian deaths from January to June 2012 – 30 fatalities occurred. In 2013, 33 people died in Colorado from January to June.
The latest statistics indicate three patterns that arise out of the latest figures, which are relevant to pedestrian accident occurrences – age, time and intoxication. Pedestrians aged 70 years and older are more prone to being involved in an accident. In terms of the time, 44 percent of fatal accidents happened between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. This was followed by the 25 percent, which occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Alcohol was also a large contributing factor in accidents with 51 percent. This included pedestrians as well, who had a blood alcohol content level of 0.08 percent or higher.
In addition to intoxication, what are the other causes of pedestrian accidents? Traffic violations, such as running a red light, speeding and making illegal turns, are just some of the more common causes of accidents. While police can file charges against the driver, victims may also wish to file a legal action.