Why Have Pedestrian Accidents Increased in San Diego?

Several weeks ago, we wrote about an increase in pedestrian accidents in San Diego and plans for updating crosswalks. Several accidents occurred due to poor visibility of crosswalks, but there might be other causes for the rise in pedestrian accidents.

Two weeks ago, police responded to a call that a vehicle struck a pedestrian on Sea World Drive. Once emergency personnel responded to the call, they arrived to find the woman unresponsive, having sustained major injuries. After being transported to a nearby hospital, she was pronounced dead.

According to witnesses, the car struck the woman as she was crossing the street. Several cases we have written about already discuss poor infrastructure possibly playing a role in pedestrian accidents, but there might be other causes at play.

Distracted and drunk drivers regularly cause pedestrian accidents. For our post today, we will focus on distracted drivers and continue to add updates as more pedestrian accidents happen.

Has Distracted Driving Led to an Increase in Pedestrian Accidents?

Distracted driving is a major contributor to car accidents, and it is unsurprising that distracted motorists can just as easily hurt pedestrians and cyclists. According to the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System, pedestrian accidents across the nation have been on the rise for the last decade. In 2005, the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles was 344. In 2010, the number of fatal pedestrian accidents had climbed to 500.

Many states have laws that restrict the use of mobile phones while driving, but other distractions can take away a motorist’s attention from the road. Eating and driving, grooming, talking to other passengers and messing with the radio are all considered forms of distracted driving by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Our readers can learn more about common injuries in distracted driving accidents, such as spinal cord injuries, by continuing to explore our website. Contacting an attorney in the aftermath of an accident can help survivors and family members recover damages from negligent drivers.

Bonnici Law Group, APCSan Diego Injury Attorney



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