The Increasing Number of Pedestrian Deaths

The citizens of Illinois may be surprised to learn that the number of pedestrians who have been killed by vehicles on the road last year has reached a high the nation has not seen since 1990. To be more concrete, around 6,227 individuals passed away due to a fatal accident while they were walking on foot, which is about 250 more fatalities than what 2017 saw. The majority of deaths took place late at night; in fact, about 90 percent of the total increase in the number of dying pedestrians over the past ten years can be attributed to nighttime accidents.

That being said, there are several factors that may be contributing to this trend. To start with, the number of fatal accidents where a pedestrian was hit by a car has increased by about 30 percent over the past six years, whereas the number of fatal accidents where the vehicle was an SUV instead of a car has increased 50 percent. There are two main reasons the number of fatal SUV accidents has been increasing. On the one hand, SUVs have higher front-end profiles than cars, making them more than twice as likely to be fatal if they hit a pedestrian. On the other hand, SUVs have been selling more than cars lately, and they account for 60 percent for all new vehicle sales.

Another reason is the increased use of smartphones while behind the wheel, an act which may increase the probability of having an accident four to eight-fold. Furthermore, the number of active smartphones has increased by more than five times in the U.S. over the past eight years, and the amount of drivers who admitted to using the phone while operating a vehicle has increased by 46 percent since 2013.

Obviously, this is an issue of concern, and as America’s population continues to grow, the number of accidents is expected to go up with it. As a result, pedestrians need to know the best practices to follow when crossing the street. Additionally, they might find it beneficial to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney who may be able to explain to them their rights and let them know what to do in the event of having an accident.