As the Governors Highway Safety Association release a new publication entitled Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State, valuable new info and statistics are now available to analyze about auto accident and pedestrian accident trends.
There was alcohol involved in 46% of auto accidents that resulted in pedestrian deaths. One third of the pedestrian deaths in 2016 involved pedestrians with blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher.
There seems to be a strong connection and trend in pedestrian accidents, that more pedestrians are under the influence when becoming involved in car accidents. PBS just wrote an article further examining the relationship between alcohol and the growing pedestrian accident death rate. According the PBS article:
“Being drunk can impact your judgment and reaction time and result in poor decision-making and risky behavior, such as crossing an intersection against the light or cutting across a road mid-block, safety experts say. You may not even be thinking about whether drivers can see you.
And while there are lots of programs designed to reduce drunken driving and improve pedestrian safety, there’s little out there aimed at impaired walkers.”
Some of the federal programs that are aimed at solving or countering this trend of pedestrian deaths are:
NHTSA developing an online toolkit regarding speed management
increase in “Share the Road” type campaigns to ensure additional pedestrian safety
the data-driven Highway Safety Improvement Program designed to significantly reduce traffic fatalities
While most states are employing targeted law enforcement efforts, campaigns with information for the public, high-risk area educational outreach, data review, and audits, Michigan is focusing on law enforcement training, law enforcement mobilization, educating Michiganders, and working to keep crosswalk areas maintained and safe.
Pedestrians involved in a Michigan motor vehicle accident are generally entitled to No-Fault benefits, which include payment for medical bills, payment for time off of work, reimbursement for assistance with chores, medical mileage reimbursement, and more. Contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC if you or a loved one have experienced a Michigan car crash. Our experienced team is ready to talk to you now, and we offer free consultations.