2018 Worst Year for Pedestrian Deaths Since 1990s

Fisher Injury Lawyers has regularly reported on pedestrian crashes in and around the Baton Rouge area and the overall lack of safety for pedestrians in the state of Louisiana. While pedestrian safety is clearly a problem in Baton Rouge, it has also been on the rise throughout the country. The Governors Highway Safety Association has issued a report projecting that 2018 will be the deadliest year for pedestrians in the United States since the 1990s.The Governors Highway Safety Association is a nonprofit organization representing highway safety offices across the country. It gathered statistics on pedestrian fatalities during the first six months of 2018 from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to formulate the projection. The association estimates that 6,227 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2018, a continuation of an upward trend since 2009.

The researchers attribute the increase to more people who are walking and are therefore more exposed; nighttime crossings on local roads away from intersections; unsafe driving behaviors like speeding or distracted or drowsy driving; alcohol consumption and smartphone use by both drivers and pedestrians; and a rise in the number of SUVs, which generally cause more severe pedestrian injuries.

"Crossing the street should not be a death sentence," Richard Retting, director of safety and research at Sam Schwartz Consulting and an author of the report, said in a statement. "We have a range of proven infrastructure, engineering, and behavioral strategies that we know can reduce pedestrian deaths."

Residents of the Greater Baton Rouge area are no strangers to the increase in pedestrian deaths on the roadway. Baton Rouge consistently ranks in the top 5 most dangerous city for pedestrians in the United States. Similarly, Louisiana also consistently ranks in the top 5 most dangerous states for pedestrians in the United States.

Some of these deaths can be attributed to the same factors seen across the U.S. However, there is little doubt that unsafe/distracted driving and poorly lit, unsafe roads play a major factor in the Baton Rouge area. The lack of sidewalks and safe crossings on roadways are a consistent problem in the city that officials have not been able to properly address. Here is just a small sample of the reported cases of pedestrian deaths in the area in the recent past:

Highland Road

North Sherwood Forest Boulevard Florida Boulevard

Winbourne Avenue

Silverleaf Avenue

LA Highway 984

LA Highway 415

Louisana Highway 415 La Highway 404 

Martin Luther King Parkway

The experienced, proven trial attorneys at Fisher Injury Lawyers have successfully represented numerous pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle crash victims in Baton Rouge and throughout south Louisiana. We have the experience and knowledge necessary to succeed in these sometimes difficult cases and to compensate the victims and their families for their needless pain and suffering. If you or a family member has been injured in a pedestrian wreck, call Fisher Injury Lawyers. We are available to answer your call at any time, day or night.

Source: CNN