No matter what steps a person walking on the street takes to ensure their own safety, it is careless drivers that they must watch for. Any simple misjudgment or negligence can quickly lead to pedestrian injuries and even the loss of life.
Some common causes of pedestrian collisions include:
Distracted driving
Drunk driving
Failure to yield
Disobeying traffic signs and signals
Failing to watch for pedestrians while backing out of parking spaces
Speeding
Children are at greatest risk of being injured by a motor vehicle, as are seniors who may take longer to cross than an able adult. Additionally, those who are walking must also exercise reasonable care to ensure their own safety.
Some common factors that contribute to pedestrian negligence include:
Ignoring the “don’t walk” signal at an intersection
Failing to use a crosswalk
Darting in front of a stream of traffic
Fault is typically determined by negligence, which means that either the driver or pedestrian could be at fault for an accident, depending on who failed to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances.