As we have covered numerous times, there has a been a significant increase in fatal pedestrian accidents in California over the last few years. We have shared our own experience as to why these accidents are on the rise but today we are looking to another state and another source to see how these accidents are increasing all over the country.
If you have been involved in any type of accident and believe you are entitled to damages then it is worth your time to contact a personal injury attorney for a free legal consultation. Reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas by calling 909-982-0707 and asking for a free legal consultation.
Experts have long said there is one main reason for these increases: Driver distraction
The rise in pedestrian accidents across the U.S. has coincided with an increase in car accidents. It would see that with the advanced safety features now available in most cars, there is no reason for so many fatal car accidents but experts who study these issues say that the uptick is caused by driver distraction. Likewise, the rise in pedestrian deaths has been attributed both to driver distraction and to pedestrian distraction.
Detroit has been having the same issue
A newspaper in Detroit has looked at the rates of pedestrian deaths in the last decade. They found that pedestrian deaths have gone up by a whopping 46% since 2009 and that car accidents have gone up 11% in the same time from. They found that from the year 2010 to 2016, the regular use of cell phones went up 236%. This makes sense, as when a person takes their eyes from the road to look at their cell phone they are at a highly increased chance of being in an accident.
However, it cannot all be blamed on cell phones. In that time frame, cars also got much more complicated. The newer innovations in them, many supposedly there for safety reasons, have made it harder to concentrate on the road. Drivers are more likely to take their wheels off the wheel due to the need to manipulate the electronics in their vehicle, or they may take their eyes off the road to read the infotainment screen.
Note that it is not just drivers at fault here. Pedestrians are also at an increased chance of being injured or killed when they are talking on or looking at their phones while walking. The same study found that between 2007 and 2016 emergency visits that were related to a person using a cellphone went up by more than 83%.
These stats can be staggering but there is good news: If you have been in an accident that was caused by someone else acting carelessly or recklessly then there is help for you. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas and let us provide you with a free legal consultation.
