A 57-year-old man struck by a semi-truck in Knoxville lost his life recently while walking along the interstate. Walking on the highway is inherently dangerous, and unfortunately pedestrian accidents happen on roads throughout Tennessee. In the first three months of 2014, there have already been 17 pedestrian deaths in motor vehicle collisions statewide. This is the same as the number of pedestrians as had been killed in the same time period of 2013, even though there have been a total of six fewer traffic fatalities year-to-date as compared with the same time period last year.
Nationwide from 2009 through 2012, there was an increase in pedestrian accident deaths each year. Average increases of 4.9 percent annually meant that 15 percent more pedestrians were killed in collisions in 2012 than in 2009. This occurred even as a three percent decline in the number of deaths in other categories of traffic fatalities was reported. Professionals are not sure why this increase in deaths happened. Proposed reasons included more distracted driving and distracted walking; or an increase in the number of pedestrians due to the economic recession.
Preliminary news from 2013 seems to show that things are getting better. In the first half of the year, 8.7 fewer pedestrians died as compared with 2012. However, the Governors Highway Safety Association cautions against being overly optimistic. The number of pedestrian deaths still remains higher than in 2009, and the decrease may be explained by the fact that improving economic conditions simply means fewer people are walking.
Walking has health benefits, including reducing the rate of obesity. It also makes it possible for people who cannot drive to participate more fully in society, and it reduces the risk of pollution. Reducing the number of pedestrians on the road is the wrong way to reduce pedestrian deaths. Instead, lawmakers should be encouraging walking and should be doing everything possible to make the roads safer.
Victims of pedestrian collisions also need to understand their rights. An experienced Knoxville accident lawyer can help those who have been hurt to take legal action.
How Can Pedestrian Accident Risks be Reduced?
Lawmakers are taking some steps to try to improve road safety. A bill was introduced to the United States senate called the Safe Streets Act of 2014. The Act would require that states and municipal organizations take the needs of all road users into account when doing transportation projects. Within two years, states and municipal agencies would be required to develop “Complete Streets” principles.
These principles will ensure that projects are designed with motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, freight trucks, the elderly, public transportation users and children in mind. The Complete Streets principles would need to be used for virtually all transportation projects using federal funding.
As of a 2012 report, there were 238 jurisdictions already using Complete Streets principles. Lawmakers believe that requiring more widespread use of tested principles could make a difference.
Unfortunately, this Act, even if it passes, is unlikely to fully address the risks. There are significant funding disparities between the money given to pedestrian safety and other types of highway funding. Biking and walking accounts for 12 percent of trips in the U.S. but just 1.6 percent of federal transportation dollars are devoted to bicyclists and pedestrians. Until more money is allocated and the risks of pedestrian accidents are better understood, far too many people will continue to lose their lives.
A Knoxville accident lawyer can help collision victims. Contact G. Turner Howard III, Attorney at Law at (844) G3-Help-Me or 865-558-8030.
