Walking to a place rather than driving can have several benefits, both for the environment and you. However, it is unfortunate to note that pedestrians are nowadays too vulnerable to different types of accidents. Unlike the passengers and drivers of cars, pedestrians usually lack the safety features like airbags that could safeguard them.
Accidents with pedestrians usually occur in urban areas where there are high levels of vehicle traffic and where pedestrian traffic is even high. This is why you’ll find pedestrian accidents to be more common in areas like Los Angeles. In fact, there are estimates that pedestrian accidents are liable for 30% of all roadside accidents in California. Here are some common types of pedestrian accidents you should stay aware of.
BACKUP ACCIDENTS
What are backup accidents? These are accidents that occur whenever a car backs out of the driveway or the parking spot. Although the latest cars have the best backup cameras, still there are several people who drive cars that don’t have these cameras. In case the driver is inattentive while backing up, a pedestrian might fall prey to the car.
MULTIPLE THREAT ACCIDENTS
There are high threats to the life of a pedestrian when multiple drivers have to stop to let them cross a road. Such accidents usually occur when a driver halts his car to let a person cross the road but the other car in the next lane doesn’t notice the pedestrian since the stopped car blocks the view.
TURNING CAR ACCIDENTS
As per Ladah Law Firm, cars that make swift turns are highly dangerous for the pedestrians who are looking forward to crossing a road. Regardless of the driver making a right-hand or a left-hand turn, the drivers usually concentrate on watching other cars and entering their lane. During such times, you might overlook or fail to notice a pedestrian.
DISTRACTED DRIVER COLLISIONS
Drivers are responsible for focusing on the road while driving. Even if the driver fails to concentrate on the road for a few seconds, this could lead to an accident. So, driver distraction is one more popular form of a pedestrian accident. Whenever the drivers fall short of concentration, the pedestrians suffer.
PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS RELATED TO BUS
Those pedestrian accidents, particularly those that include children, occur whenever people try to get off a bus or step into a bus. Drivers are legally bound to stop for a school bus, but how many drivers abide by the law? This breach of law makes children more susceptible to such accidents on the road.
TRAPPED ACCIDENTS
There are times when the pedestrians start entering a crosswalk when there is a ‘Walk’ signal but halfway through, the signal changes to ‘Don’t Walk’. This is when the pedestrians get trapped in between and become more vulnerable to accidents. A driver can proceed through the crosswalk not noticing that there’s a pedestrian already.
Irrespective of how an accident occurs, one of the best steps to take by an injured person is to contact a pedestrian accident attorney.
