With crosswalks, a multitude of laws and extensive public service initiatives to raise awareness of the issue, one would think that pedestrian accidents would be extensively diminished nowadays, but the truth is much different. In fact, just recently the director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Arizona indicated that the pedestrian accident problem is a crisis. Additionally, that individual stated that pedestrian accidents have increased over the last two years, despite cities making extensive efforts to raise awareness of pedestrians and crosswalks.
A recently released report accentuates the point. That study, which was released earlier this month, shows that Arizona ranks first when it comes to the number of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people. Between 2016 and 2017, Arizona saw an increase of 27 pedestrian fatalities, which is a marked jump. In fact, the study found that Arizona accounted for nearly half of the country’s pedestrian accident deaths during the first half of 2017. These pedestrian fatalities also make up more than one-quarter of all of Arizona’s traffic fatalities.
The state has received extensive grant funding to increase education and awareness of the issue, which will hopefully curtail the problem. However, if history is any indication, these types of accidents will continue to occur at an alarming rate, leaving innocent Arizona residents at risk of suffering serious injuries or death at the hands of negligent drivers.
This is unacceptable. Those who are injured in these wrecks are often left with extensive damages. They may have unexpected medical expenses, lost wages and physical and emotional pain and suffering that is unfairly thrust upon them. Although the state’s efforts at putting a stop to these accidents seem to have had a minimal impact, accident victims can choose to take legal action in hopes of imposing liability and recovering their losses. Hopefully, these lawsuits will also help deter others from acting negligently while around pedestrians.
