The older people get, the more their senses, reflexes and general mobility begin to diminish. As a result, it should not be surprising that elderly people are at a higher risk of being injured in pedestrian accidents than people of younger ages. Their impaired hearing and vision, combined with their decreased mobility, can make it difficult for them to spot oncoming traffic while they’re crossing the street, or to get out of the way if they do notice traffic coming while they’re in the road.
The following are just a few statistics to consider:
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 18 percent of accidents involving older people are pedestrian accident fatalities.
- Children are more likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents than elderly people, but elderly people are more likely to be involved in fatal pedestrian accidents than children.
- Approximately 22 per million people older than 70 die of pedestrian accidents, a 61 percent higher rate than people younger than 70 years old.
- Up to 64 percent of pedestrian accident deaths involving elderly people occur outside of intersection locations.
Because elderly people may have impaired movement and senses, negligent driving becomes even more dangerous when done in places where elderly people are crossing the road. Speeding, failure to yield, distracted driving, running signs and blocking crosswalks are all dangerous behaviors, but they’re even worse when the potential victim is an elderly person who either might not see/hear the driver coming or might simply be incapable of getting out of the way or crossing the street on time.
For more information about how to proceed with a personal injury claim if you or a loved one has been injured due to the actions of a negligent motorist, consult a dedicated Bradenton pedestrian accident lawyer with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.