Avoiding accidents by predicting pedestrian behavior

Thousands of pedestrians are killed or injured by motor vehicles each year in California and around the country, and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that children and senior citizens are especially vulnerable when they take to the roads on foot. However, remaining vigilant, observing speed limits and predicting the behavior of pedestrians can help motorists avoid accidents that can cause debilitating injuries and even death even when the speeds involved are not great.

Children often follow their impulses without thinking, and many are struck each year by motor vehicles after running into busy streets to greet their friends or chase after an errant ball. Road safety experts caution drivers to monitor their speeds carefully and remain watchful in areas like school zones, playgrounds and parks where children often play, and they remind them to never attempt to pass a school bus when its warning lights are flashing.

Many pedestrian accidents take place at intersections, and they are often caused by drivers who failed to look out for people on foot before turning. In addition to approaching intersections with care, road safety experts say that drivers should check their mirrors carefully before backing out of driveways and parking spaces. This is because research has found that more than half of the accidents involving vehicles backing up take place in parking lots.

Pedestrians often suffer serious injuries after being struck by motor vehicles, and the damages awarded in pedestrian accident lawsuits can be high. These cases sometimes become mired in arguments over who had the right of way and whether traffic signals were red or green, and experienced personal injury attorneys may anticipate claims of comparative negligence when representing injured pedestrians or the family members of pedestrians who have been killed. Police investigations tend to be thorough when injuries are serious or lives have been lost, but attorneys may conduct additional inquiries when accident reports reach no firm conclusions.