In New York, pedestrian accidents have become a major issue. Innocent people get killed or suffer serious injuries while walking to their local grocery store or taking their dogs for a walk. New York Department of Transportation Commissioner Matthew Driscoll stated that more than 300 pedestrians are killed yearly and about 15,000 are injured in the state of New York. State officials are so concerned about this problem that they have vowed to spend $110 million over the next five years to improve upon pedestrian safety.
Driscoll stated that a quarter of car accident deaths involve pedestrians. Traffic data in the state from 2009 to 2013 reveals that drivers contributed to a majority of pedestrian crashes (61 percent). Failure to yield right-of-way and distracted driving were the two main factors in these driver-related pedestrian accidents.
State officials plan to look closely at all 200,000 of the New York crosswalks that do not have walk signals. They are also working to create grant criteria to help local governments start pedestrian safety projects. Dangerous intersections and school zones will also be areas of concern.
With so many dangers facing pedestrians today, it is important that these improvements remain a priority for New York state officials. The changes that will occur over the next few years will hopefully save countless lives. Tragically, these changes will be too late for many car accident victims and their families. For those who have been injured or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident, compensation may be available to through a lawsuit against those responsible for the accident.
Source: Times Union, “State to spend $110 million on pedestrian safety,” Tim O’Brien, June 21, 2016
