You were hit by a driver while walking to your office in Wilmington, Delaware, and you’re wondering how you can support your children in your condition. Sadly, there are many others in the same situation as pedestrian accidents are on the rise. Many of them end in fatality.
GHSA on pedestrian deaths in 2019
It is unknown how many traffic deaths there were in 2019 as the current data extends only through June. The Governors Highway Safety Administration has taken this incomplete data, though, and provided a preliminary analysis. In it, the GHSA estimates that there were 6,590 pedestrian deaths that year.
Assuming that the number is accurate, this is the highest it has ever been since 1988. It marks a 5% increase from 2018 and a startling 60% increase from 2009, the year when pedestrian fatality numbers began to steadily climb. As for the states with the most fatalities, they were Georgia, Florida, California, Arizona and Texas. Together they accounted for 47% of the deaths.
Distractions and more SUVs on the road
There’s no single reason why this is so. Rather, there are no doubt many reasons that converge, and the GHSA mentioned a few of those reasons in its report. One is that the warmer weather is inviting more people, both drivers and pedestrians, outside. Another is that advances in technology are causing more drivers to distract themselves with their phones behind the wheel.
A major factor is the growing number of SUVs and light trucks on the road. Both vehicle types are designed in such a way that they tend to fatally injure any pedestrians they are in a collision with. In 2009, 48% of new vehicle sales were light trucks whereas in 2019, it was 69%.
A legal firm to handle your injury case
Pedestrian accidents can become the subject of a personal injury claim if it’s clear that the driver was at fault and the pedestrian was not. In Delaware, actually, plaintiffs can recover damages as long as they are less than 50% at fault. You may want an attorney to evaluate your case personally.
