Because no type of motor vehicle accident victim is more exposed to a higher risk of injury than pedestrians, those who walk, jog or run for pleasure, exercise or a mode of transportation need to understand their risk of injury, as well as their legal rights and actions that need to be taken to protect those rights, if they are involved in a pedestrian accident in Georgia. Some teenagers and young adults presume that pedestrian accident primarily involve small children who are inexperienced with traffic and elderly walkers who are slower to cross the street, however, anyone can be hit by a motorist who is speeding, distracted, substance impaired or an otherwise careless driver. Our Fulton County Pedestrian Accident Attorneys have provided an overview of critical facts about Georgia pedestrians-motor vehicle collisions.

Are pedestrian accidents really common enough that there is a genuine risk of being involved in such a crash?

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a person dies because of injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident every two hours and someone suffers non-fatal injuries in pedestrian crashes every eight minutes. The risk of injury in a collision is much higher for those in pedestrian collisions than those protected by being enclosed within a car, truck or SUV. The risk of a fatality is 1.5 times higher for pedestrians during each trip than those in passenger vehicle according to an article published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

How much of a role does alcohol play in the likelihood of pedestrian crashes?

The NHTSA reports that almost half of all fatal collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians involved an alcohol impaired party. However, sometimes the drunk party involved in the crash is the pedestrian. Of the pedestrians that were identified as having alcohol in their system during a pedestrian accident, one in three was legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent according to the federal agency. Based on this data, pedestrians need to be aware that “drinking and walking” may pose similar risks to one’s safety as “drinking and driving.”

What other factors typically increase the risk of pedestrian accidents?

Vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed substantially increase both the probability of a pedestrian crash as well as the severity of injury suffered in such a collision based on data from the journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention. High rates of speed increase stopping distances so that drivers have less opportunity to take evasive action like swerving or stopping to avoid hitting a pedestrian in the roadway. Further, the force of impact increases based on the speed of a motor vehicle when the impact with a pedestrian occurs. Other factors that increase the odds of a pedestrian accident include urban areas, non-intersections and nighttime driving.

Contact the Fulton County Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at Montlick and Associates Now!

If you or someone you love has been involved in a pedestrian collision in Georgia, our Atlanta pedestrian accident attorneys at Montlick and Associates have been representing injury victims for over thirty years throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.

No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.