In 2009, over 4,000 pedestrians were killed and 59,000 were injured in accidents involving cars, trucks, and SUVs. Roughly 25 percent of those accidents occurred between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and 13 percent between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., according to Occupational Health & Safety Online. That means nearly 40 percent of these deadly pedestrian-car accidents occurred when it was dark outside.
With this information in mind, it is extremely important for all drivers to be aware of the fall end of Daylight Savings Time and our shorter days. It’s now common for the sun to go down at around 5 p.m.
Some of you may be thinking this is just common sense. However, there are plenty of people who may not drive every day and are not used to the new shorter days. They may decide to driver to the store or some other location and suddenly find themselves driving in the dark.
Being cognizant of the shorter days is also vitally important for all drivers heading home from work at around 5 p.m. since it may be dark outside by the time you leave the office and pedestrians also heading home will be crossing the streets. This means you have to bevigilant. Even a moment of distraction can lead to a serious pedestrian-car crash injury.
It’s important to remember fundamental safe driving practices such as always having your lights on while driving in the dark and making sure you are cautious when driving through a street with marked crosswalk zones.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.
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Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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