Category: Pedestrian Accidents

The coronavirus pandemic brought out the worst in drivers not just in California, but also across the United States, and the consequence has been deadly for pedestrians, according to a new report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association. Seven states accounted for 54% of all pedestrian deaths, the report said. California led all U.S. states with 485 deaths followed by Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and New York. …Read the rest »

Estimates of pedestrian fatalities from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reveal that through last year, the upward trend in pedestrian accident fatalities has continued. According to news reports, in 2019, pedestrian deaths were up 5% compared to the previous year with 6,590 pedestrians killed, the highest number since 1988. That total translates to 2.0 deaths per 100,000 people, which is the highest number since 1997. …Read the rest »

Bob Nill, 88, a beloved crossing guard in Kansas City, was killed near Christ The King Catholic School in that city when he tried to save two young children, 8 and 11, from an approaching vehicle. According to an NBC News report, Nill was helping kids cross the street early morning on Feb. 18 when he saw a car approaching. Nill managed to stop two children from stepping off the sidewalk so they wouldn’t be hit by the vehicle but ended up being struck himself. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition where he later died. …Read the rest »

A new study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), found that land use played a role in pedestrian freeway fatalities. According to a report in Forbes.com, the study showed that more than 800 people are killed each year nationwide in traffic accidents on interstates and other high-speed controlled-access roadways. Those fatalities rose 60% from 2009 to 2018, at a faster rate than overall pedestrian deaths nationwide during the same period, which increased 53%. Most people were killed after attempting to traverse freeways in urban areas. …Read the rest »

New crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that automakers are making progress on technology that may decrease the alarming amount of pedestrian accident fatalities that have taken place. According to Consumer Reports, six midsize cars have received top ratings in the latest IIHS pedestrian detection tests. Seven other cars were awarded the second-best score of “advanced.” Only three of the 19 models tested received the lowest score of “no credit.” …Read the rest »

Federal crash statistics show that after more than three decades of declining pedestrian fatalities, the number began to climb in 2010. Since 2010, nearly 40,000 pedestrians have died. But, an in-depth article in the Los Angeles Times points out that pedestrians in low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston and Orlando, are more at risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident. These are often pedestrians who tend to walk to work. …Read the rest »

A rented Tesla that was speeding when it ran a red light, killed a man and critically injured his wife was not on Autopilot mode, police said. According to a KTLA news report, the Tesla, driven by Kelly Cambridge, struck and killed 39-year-old Benjamin Dean, and severely injured his wife, Kelly Dean, who remains in critical condition. …Read the rest »

Marlene Lorenzo, 14, was killed and her younger sister, Amy Lorenzo, 12, was critically injured in a pedestrian accident in South Los Angeles after they were struck by a large truck that was making a turn at an intersection. According to a KTLA news report, the fatal accident occurred on the morning of April 4 at the intersection of Broadway Place and 37th Street. The truck was making a turn north onto Broadway Place from 37th Street when it struck the girls. The sisters were walking near a middle school. …Read the rest »

The number of pedestrians killed on the nation’s roadways in 2018 was the highest in 28 years, according to a new report issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). A KTLA news report states that the increase can be attributed to driver and walker distraction, alcohol and drug impairment and more SUVs on the road. The GHSA uses data reported by states for the first half of 2018 and estimates that 6,227 pedestrians were killed last year, up 4 percent from 2017 and 35 percent from 2008. …Read the rest »

A new pedestrian safety report released by Smart Growth America has ranked California as the 16th most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians. According to an article on Patch.com, the report ranked Bakersfield as the state’s deadliest metro area for pedestrians. It’s the seventh most dangerous city in the country for pedestrians with 247 fatalities during that period. …Read the rest »