One Killed in Pedestrian Collision on Wrightsboro Road in Augusta, Georgia (GA)

AUGUSTA, GA- Augustachonicle.com writes that a fatal crash occurred this week in Richmond County that involved an Augusta Transit City Bus.* 

The incident took place on Wrightsboro Road in the mid-afternoon. The victim was a 59-year-old pedestrian who died at the crash scene. The investigation is still ongoing, and the cause of the accident has not been reported. 

Pedestrian crashes have been reaching frighteningly high numbers. In a matter of just ten years, the number of pedestrians killed rose by 53 percent. In 2009, 4,109 people were killed in pedestrian collisions. In 2018, that number increased by more than 2,000 to 6,283. 

One of the likely causes is smartphone use. All people on the road are more distracted by these devices now than they were a decade ago. Legislators in most states have recognized the rising threat caused by these phones, and many laws have been written to prevent drivers from using phones while operating their vehicles. 

Phones are not the only culprit, however. SUVs are creating a situation where pedestrians who are struck by cars are more at risk of suffering severe and fatal injuries. These vehicles are larger than cars, and therefore a bigger risk for those traveling on foot. 

In the last ten years, vehicle-related fatalities caused by SUVs spiked by a shocking 81 percent. Passenger car-related pedestrian fatalities rose as well, but by a lesser percentage.  

About 75 percent of these crashes are taking place after dark, suggesting that inadequate lighting is a major problem on the road. Of course, pedestrians on the road are more vulnerable than are people in cars. The increasing number of deaths indicates that pedestrian safety should be a priority for officials. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Source:

https://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20200811/pedestrian-killed-in-traffic-accident-involving-augusta-transit-bus

https://thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/smart-cities/485221-us-pedestrian-traffic-deaths-are-rising-report