Summertime in the Inland Northwest is amazing! Local parks are filled with children playing, but that also means lots of pedestrians are walking to their local parks and crossing busy streets. That can lead to pedestrian accidents. Sometimes pedestrians can be unpredictable, so it’s the responsibly of every driver to keep an eye out for them.
Last year we wrote about a rise in fatal pedestrian accidents. When final statistics for Spokane County were tallied, 2017 actually saw a drop of nearly 20% in the total number of pedestrian versus vehicle accidents. In 2016 there were 216 collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians, but only 177 in 2017. That is really good news!
Unfortunately for Spokane County, the pedestrian versus motor vehicle accidents in 2017 ended up being much deadlier than the accidents in 2016. Nearly once per month in 2017 Spokane County saw a fatal pedestrian versus vehicle accident. That’s the bad news.
The rise in fatal pedestrian accidents in 2017 could be due to many factors. Perhaps there are more large trucks and SUV’s on Spokane’s roads, which could lead to a higher probability these larger vehicles are involved in the accidents. Maybe the vehicles in these accidents were traveling faster than the vehicles involved in the accidents from 2016. Vehicle weight and speed are two of the primary factors causing severe injuries in pedestrian accidents.
While the City of Spokane is taking steps to improve some roads like the traffic reduction project on north Monroe Street, it takes more than street design to keep us all safe. Stay off of electronic devices and use the Do Not Disturb While Driving function on your cell phone. Watch for pedestrians while driving, especially children, and keep an eye on them. They could run into the street after their pet or simply chasing a ball. If we all work together we can reduce the number and the severity of pedestrian accidents!
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured, you can learn more about the types of cases we assist with here. Feel free to contact us for a free consultation. We can help!