Nighttime Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities: What to Know
There are many different reasons that Shreveport residents and visitors walk at night, from after-work exercise in their own neighborhoods to transportation. Yet walking after dark can be particularly dangerous when it comes to collisions involving automobiles. Often when pedestrians are injured in collisions with automobiles after dark, those pedestrians are walking from a restaurant, retail store, or another location to their cars. These types of collisions can also occur in neighborhoods with low speed limits where pedestrians are taking a brisk walk for exercise, or attempting to travel from one location to another on foot while downtown. According to a recent report in The New York Times, a particularly high rate of collisions occurs at night.
Nighttime collisions involving pedestrians are rising. It is important to understand the risks, as well as your options for seeking compensation.
Dangerous Nighttime Walking and Pedestrian Fatalities
The recent report begins by pointing out that pedestrian deaths declined in the US between 1980 and 2009, but then started to rise again — and significantly. Notably, most of the pedestrian fatalities that have been reported over the last 15 years have happened at night. Indeed, as the report explains, of the more than 7,300 pedestrian deaths that occurred in 2021, about 75 percent of them happened “during the hours between sunset and sunrise.” Why are more pedestrians dying at night? The report suggests that it is a combination of two things: the long-time problem of pedestrians being harder to see in the dark and an increase in distracted driving due to technology like smartphones and built-in GPS devices in new vehicles.
According to data from KSLA News, certain areas in Shreveport are significantly more dangerous for pedestrians than others. To be sure, there are particular intersections where pedestrian injuries and deaths have occurred with frequency, including the areas around North Market Street, Jewella Avenue, and Pines Road. Police in Shreveport have reported that North Market Street, as well as Highway 1 and Highway 71, are the places where the highest number of pedestrian injuries occur.
How to Be Visible and Stay Safe at Night
The US Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration emphasize that part of the burden for keeping pedestrians safe at night time is on cities, towns, and even states to make roads and pedestrian paths safer. In particular, locations should increase “well-designed lighting” at intersections known to be dangerous for pedestrians, and enhancing the visibility of crosswalks.
Pedestrians can also take steps to help ensure their safety when walking at night. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if you are walking at night, it is critical to take the following safety precautions:
- Wear light-colored or reflective clothing so that oncoming vehicles can see you;
- Always cross at designated crosswalks where they are available;
- Consider carrying a flashlight with you to be seen better by motorists;
- Do not engage in distracted walking, including texting or even listening to music; and
- Avoid consuming alcohol before walking.
Contact a Shreveport Pedestrian Injury Lawyer Today
Do you need help with a pedestrian accident case? One of the experienced Shreveport pedestrian injury lawyers at Rice & Kendig, LLC can speak with you today about your options. Contact us for more information.
Sources:
nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/11/upshot/nighttime-deaths.html
cdc.gov/transportationsafety/pedestrian_safety/index.html
fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_7/nighttime_visibility.cfm
ksla.com/2019/12/14/police-identify-most-dangerous-places-pedestrians/
