When a pedestrian is involved in an accident with a car, it’s very clear that the pedestrian is the one who is facing the greatest degree of danger. Many pedestrian accidents, even at low speeds, can result in fatal injuries. Pedestrians are quite vulnerable and that’s why it’s so important for drivers to respect crosswalks and the right of way.
This is also why speeding is so strictly enforced in school zones and residential areas. Even a slight increase in speed can have a dire impact on the pedestrian.
2 stats to paint a picture
To see exactly why speed matters so much, let’s take a look at two statistics that help illustrate the risk:
- Pedestrian mortality rates double for every 10 mph of additional speed. It is twice as likely that someone will die if a driver is going 45 miles an hour as opposed to 35 miles an hour. The driver may not feel like this is a big difference in speed, but it’s a major difference for a pedestrian.
- Severe injuries happen in 30% of cases when vehicles are traveling 25 mph. This is one of the lowest speed limits on the road, but it is still very dangerous in about a third of cases. At 35 mph, however, 10% of pedestrians will pass away from their injuries. Again, some drivers look at these as relatively the same speed, but you can see that that is just not true from a pedestrian perspective.
If anyone ever questions why speed limits are so strictly enforced, this is a big part of the reason why. Those who have been injured in accidents caused by speeding drivers, or who have lost loved ones, need to know about the legal options at their disposal.
