An alarming 4,654 deaths occurred in the USA in 2007 because of pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents. That figure equates to almost 13 deaths a day; one every other hour from these horrific crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in a 2005 report states that 1 million injuries occur each year on US roads. Many of these accidents occur in Massachusetts.

Walking As a Means of Transportation

WalkingInfo.org shares on its website that 107.4 million Americans walk regularly as a mode of transportation. The pedestrians referenced in this study stated that they walk at least three out of seven days each week as their primary method of travel. The New England States account for 10.3% of these pedestrians.

People are walking for various reasons according to WalkingInfo.org:

Health benefits
Personal errands
Recreation
Travel from home to school or work
Walk the dog

Accident Statistics

According to the IIHS, 20% of pedestrian-automobile deaths occurred in hit-and-run accidents. Children from 0-12 have the lowest death rate during pedestrian and vehicle accidents, with pedestrians 70 and older having the highest rate. Seventy percent of the deaths that occurred in 2007 happened to pedestrians that were male.

Other pedestrian accident statistics:

Pedestrian accidents happen more often on urban roads
Accidents occur more often on freeways and interstates
If the victim is over 60, its likely the accident happened in an intersection
Alcohol is commonly a factor, especially at night
The driver of the vehicle is usually speeding
72% of pedestrian accidents in 2007 occurred in urban areas
71% of these accidents in 2007 happened on major roads
Crashes take place more often between 6:00 pm and midnight
Crashes more frequent on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday

The most serious injuries occur when pedestrians are:

Thrown onto hoods
Hurled onto/through windshields
Tossed onto the top of the vehicle hood

US Department of Transportation

In a report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, fatalities occur more often as the speed of the vehicle increases. Reducing the speed limits in high accident areas can go a long way to increase pedestrian safety.

If you have been the victim in a pedestrian accident, due to someone else's negligence, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to protect and preserve your rights.

It's during this most critical time that you will need an experienced legal team on your side! The Law Office of Thomas M. Kiley will evaluate your case for FREE. There are NO FEES unless one of our personal injury lawyers wins your case.

Call 1-800-930-8145 today!

Massachusetts personal injury lawyer, Thomas M. Kiley, is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and is a respected member of the American Association for Justice and the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys.

The personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Thomas M. Kiley & Associates are dedicated to helping the victims of:

Car, motorcycle, truck, van or bus accident
Single vehicle accidents such as SUV or 15-passenger van rollovers
Pedestrian accidents such as a hit and run
Defective products such as ineffective airbags or seatbelts, prescription drugs with unpublicized side-effects, or hazardous children's toys
Child injury and child abuse such as negligence
Birth injuries such as trauma during labor or cerebral palsy

We Serve Clients Across the State of Massachusetts
The firm's headquarters are in Andover, MA and serves the following cities in Massachusetts: Boston, Danvers, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Middleton, Reading, and Salem, MA and Salem, New Hampshire.