Last year in Las Vegas 33 pedestrians were killed and over 90 pedestrians suffered from life-altering injuries. Nationally, in 2009, 4,092 pedestrians were killed on America’s roads accounting for 12 percent of all traffic deaths. The overwhelming majority of these deaths resulted from single-vehicle accidents. The wide majority of pedestrian deaths occur at non-intersections in urban areas. Surprisingly, most deaths occur during normal weather conditions.
Safety tips for drivers:
- Yield and give pedestrians the right of way at crosswalks and non-crosswalks
- Look both ways and double-check when entering and exiting driveways and making turns
- Stay alert for children when around schools and neighborhoods
Safety tips for pedestrians:
- Cross in designated crosswalk areas when possible
- Stop and look left, right, and left again when crossing
- Carry a flashlight and wear reflective clothing at night
- When possible, walk on sidewalks
- Keep a watchful eye on children playing outside and keep play areas away from streets and driveways
- Do not walk with headphones on
- Make eye contact with drivers to make sure they see you
Organizers in Las Vegas are trying to educate the city on pedestrian safety with the “Shine a Light for Mia” fundraiser. The purpose of the fundraiser is to raise money for high visibility flashing pedestrian signs. The fundraiser is named after a six-year-old girl who died in a crosswalk last year after being struck by a distracted driver. Small businesses and government organizations are partnering to make this event a success with giveaways and activities for adults and children.
The organizers are reminding children to stop at every lane line and make eye contact with the drivers to assure that the driver sees them before they continue across the street. A working crosswalk will be at the event to help children practice crossing streets. Adults will be asked to sign a pledge promising to pay closer attention to pedestrians and children will sign a pledge promising to practice pedestrian safety. Hopefully, this event will be a step forward in reducing the number of serious pedestrian accidents in Las Vegas and help increase road safety.
If you have questions about your rights and options if you were hurt in a pedestrian accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can advise you.