The second most dangerous city for pedestrians in Ontario has recently conducted a study on pedestrian accident collisions. A city councillor in Hamilton was seeking additional information on traffic accidents and the possible impact of changing one-way streets to streets with traffic travelling both directions. He also wondered if walkers with ear buds contributed to accidents, but that information was unavailable because of a lack of detail in available police reports.
However, a recent city’s report confirms that the person behind the wheel is usually responsible for crashes, and in most cases, the accidents are caused by a driver’s failure to yield right of way to someone on foot. Distracted pedestrians were apparently at fault in less than 12 per cent of accidents. Just over 6 per cent of the group had been drinking, but only a fraction of that number was actually impaired. The report also suggests that a little more than three-fourths of all auto-pedestrian accidents occurred under what was described as “normal pedestrian conditions.”
The city is trying to pull a citizens’ panel together for further discussions on the matter and to enhance community safety. The average yearly number of pedestrian-vehicle accidents stands at 256 between 2008 and 2010. That includes six deaths and 235 injuries to pedestrians.
While no official changes have been announced by city officials in light of the new report’s statistics, the information on such collisions may serve as a reminder that pedestrian accidents are not unusual; the crashes can be among the most deadly types of wrecks. A personal injury lawyer could help a person who was injured by a distracted driver pursue compensation through a lawsuit filed in civil court.
Source: TheSpec.com, “Dreschel: When pedestrians and cars collide“, Andrew Dreschel, April 07, 2014
