If we told you that a study was done by the Governors Highway Safety Association and Georgia was ranked the 5th most dangerous place for pedestrians, would you be surprised?
Would you take a 2nd look before crossing the street?
Would you put your cell phone away and stop texting in order to avoid a vehicle-pedestrian accident?
Georgia Pedestrians Hit by Cars
The study, which was done between 2003 and 2012, found 1,564 people were killed in Georgia in pedestrian accidents. This number represents 10.6% of the 14,748 traffic fatalities in the state. The fatalities, between 2003 and 2010, saw 112 children under 16 and 183 adults, aged 65 or older, die in pedestrian accidents.
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An interesting finding throughout the study was that 56.9% of those pedestrians killed in Georgia were on arterial roads. This is important to note as arterial roads are often designed to maximize the speed of an automobile and not for safety of pedestrians. These types of roads are places were people walk and utilize quite frequently. Therefore, the families of those who are killed on these types of roads could be eligible to receive federal funding for roadway construction or improvement.
How Bad Are Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia?
The statistics from 2003 – 2010 become even more alarming as seen below:
- 74.7% of pedestrians died on roadways with speed limits of 40 mph or more
- 3.8% pedestrians were killed on streets with posted speed limits of less than 30 mph
- 0.2% died on streets with a speed limit less than 20mph
- Adults 65+ make up 10.0% of the state’s populations and represent 11.5% of its pedestrian deaths
- Georgia is ranked as 31st nationally for fatalities among pedestrians for individuals 65 and older
Steps to Take if a Pedestrian is Hit by a Car
The dangers of pedestrian accidents are no joke – especially here in Georgia. If you have been injured or know someone who has been injured in a vehicle-pedestrian accident, make sure that you are taking the proper steps to protect your legal rights:
- Call the police;
- Obtain all information (driver’s contact and insurance information);
- Write down all names of eye witnesses to the accident;
- Never, ever discuss fault or attempt to negotiate with the driver;
- Seek medical attention – even if you don’t think you are hurt;
- Write down exactly what happened;
- Document all injuries;
- Contact your insurance company; and
- Contact us at Kaine Law.
Kaine Law is a personal injury law firm representing injured accident victims in Georgia. With offices in Atlanta, Conyers, Lawrenceville and Stockbridge, Kaine Law’s personal injury attorneys specialize in representing injured motorcycle accident victims, injured car accident victims, injured dog bite victims and injured pedestrian accident victims. Kaine Law represents their injured accident victim clients using a contingency fee agreement which provides that there are no legal fees unless we win.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
