DeKalb County Sees Rise in Deadly Pedestrian Crashes

DEKALB COUNTY, GA- Wsbtv.com writes that pedestrians are dying in DeKalb County, Georgia, at an alarming rate. Pedestrians now account for more than one-third of people killed in traffic accidents in the County.*

Across the country, a similar trend is playing out, with fewer deadly accidents involving people in vehicles and more pedestrian fatalities each year. The numbers in DeKalb County are outpacing the average across the country, though, and not just in places where pedestrians are unexpected. Many of these crashes are occurring in business districts where people are often walking and crossing the roads.  

Busy areas around Memorial Driver, Covington Highway, and Moreland Avenue are seeing deadly crashes involving people on foot.

About 61 percent of these crashes are occurring when it is dark out, indicating that poor lighting and reduced driver visibility are likely playing a major role in the majority of crashes. Police say that pedestrians out on the street at night in dark-colored clothes are putting themselves at risk of being overlooked by and potentially injured or killed by drivers in the area.

As for drivers, police say they need to check their speed. When a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, the speed of that vehicle will play a massive role in the likelihood of the person surviving that crash. At 20 miles per hour, the vast majority of victims will live. Once a car is traveling 40 miles per hour, any victim will have a slim chance of surviving. 

Police, the board of health, and the governor are all working together to develop a plan to make the roads safer. The plans will likely include the installation of additional crosswalks, better lighting, and more sidewalks. Efforts will focus on the most dangerous locations first.

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 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.

Sources:

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/this-metro-county-is-seeing-spike-in-people-getting-hit-and-killed-by-cars/1015971390