Crossing the street should be completely safe. Yet, distracted, drunk, and otherwise negligent drivers can make this simple task deadly. In fact, statistics show that Connecticut saw more than 50 pedestrian deaths in 2016, the most the state has seen since 1995. Even these numbers may be lower than they should be, though, as police departments may not be made aware that pedestrians later succumb to their injuries at the hospital. This discrepancy is enough to give rise to further concerns, as it appears that the state doesn’t even know how big of a problem pedestrian accidents are for Connecticut residents.
Unfortunately, the trend seems to be towards more pedestrian fatalities nationwide. The figures for 2016 are still being calculated, but 2015 saw the highest accident-caused pedestrian death rate since 1996, at more than 5,300 pedestrian deaths.
Most of these pedestrian accidents are unintentional, but that doesn’t make them acceptable. Motorists need to remain attentive behind the wheel, which includes being sober, being cognizant of crosswalks and traffic signals, avoiding texting while driving and obeying traffic laws related to speed and traffic signals.
Although the state and local municipalities are putting forth effort to increase awareness of pedestrian accidents and crackdown on negligent drivers, the truth of the matter is that these wrecks will continue to occur. Victims, who may be left with significant damages in the form of lost wages and medical expenses, may find it hard to make ends meet post-accident. The same holds true for surviving families that lose a loved one to one of these crashes. By taking legal action, though, these individuals may be able to impose liability on a negligent driver and recover the compensation to which they are entitled.
Source: New Haven Register, “Connecticut sees rise in pedestrian deaths; New Haven continues to work on traffic-calming,” Anna Bisaro and Sam Norton
