Pedestrian Accidents

Walking comes with many great health benefits, which is perhaps why there are more pedestrians in the United States than ever before. While it’s a healthier alternative to driving, finding safe ways to navigate your city by foot can be challenging. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), every year nearly 5,000 pedestrians die in accidents involving motor vehicles, and an estimated 76,000 pedestrians suffer a serious injury. These accidents can occur at any time of day. From a pedestrian trying to cross a

busy street to a simple parking lot mishap, pedestrians are hurt and killed in preventable accidents at an alarming rate.

Even when there are sidewalks and marked crosswalks, pedestrians can be injured because of the negligence of a driver. Our nation is ripe with distractions these days, from people talking on their cell phones, to texting or posting pictures on Instagram while driving. Because of this, pedestrians must be on extra high alert when walking around Dallas.

Pedestrian accidents happen all the time in Texas, and for many reasons. In a five month span in 2017, there were nearly 300 pedestrian deaths in Texas. That’s a rate of .93 per 100,000 people, making Texas the 13th most dangerous state in the U.S. for pedestrians. According to the NHTSA, Texas and four other states – California, Florida, New York, and Arizona – accounted for 43 percent of all pedestrian deaths at the start of 2017.

Today, pedestrians account for 16 percent of all motor vehicle deaths. This number increased from 11 percent a few years ago. While Texas is making an effort to curb pedestrian deaths through campaigns like “Be Safe. Be Seen”, these accidents still take place. I-35, for one, is one of the most dangerous highways in the nation – for both pedestrians and drivers.