Portland Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: The Serious Problem of Pedestrian Accidents in Portland, Oregon and Nationwide
Walking is good. It's good for your health and it's good for the environment. Promoting walking is something that almost every health expert does and does often.
It may come as no surprise, but studies confirm that Americans are walking less and less. That has resulted in an overall decline in pedestrian accidents on U.S. roads.
But Portland appears to be going the other way. Portland is widely credited as being one of the nation's most walker friendly cities. We walk, we bicycle, we engage in alternative means of transportation...and we're proud of it.
Comprehensive numbers on Portland pedestrian accidents indicate that 2011 was the single most dangerous year for Portland pedestrian accidents in a long, long time.
Nationwide statistics indicate that pedestrian fatalities in a typical year account for roughly 10% of all motor vehicle related fatalities. Men are far more likely than women to be in a pedestrian versus car accident, and boys aged 5-9 are the single most at-risk group. Seniors, while less frequently on the road to begin with (and typically more cautious when they are), get in less pedestrian crashes but when they do they're more serious.
A Portland pedestrian accident lawyer will tell you that pedestrian dangers span all seasons in Oregon. Residents take to the roads in the summertime, and more walkers means more accidents. In the wintertime, treacherous conditions can mean fewer walkers but a higher likelihood of accident per walker.
Although more pedestrian versus car accidents occur in urban areas, a higher proportion of dangerous or fatal accidents occurs in rural areas. The problem is more acute in some ways on rural roads because the dangers are underreported and rural walkers often don't have the benefit of safety measures like sidewalks and crosswalks. Rural drivers, unaware of the dangers and traveling long stretches without stoplights or speed bumps, are more likely to drive faster. Taken together, it can be a lethal mix for rural walkers.
What can be done to combat the problem? The answer is awareness. Everything stems from that. Awareness leads to safer drivers and safer walkers. It leads to safety measures by municipalities, states and regional governments. Awareness is the best prevention tool. In fact, it might be the only prevention tool.