Drivers Take Caution: Spring Weather Draws More Pedestrians Outdoors

As spring weather arrives to Tennessee, children are starting to spend more of their free time playing outside. While many are glad to be rid of the colder winter days, springtime also comes with an increase in pedestrian accidents: within a two week span in April 2019, four children who were hit or backed over by cars were brought to Nashville’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital alone. Unfortunately, one of them died from their injuries.

With these incidents in mind and the rising rate of pedestrian accidents both nationwide and statewide, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Monroe Carell Jr. facility have banded together to remind Tennessee drivers to keep an eye out for pedestrians on the road.

In 2018, U.S. roads saw 6,227 pedestrian fatalities, the highest number since 1990. Pedestrian crashes are becoming more frequent within the state of Tennessee, too. An alarming 1,675 Tennessee pedestrians were involved in accidents in 2018. This marks a nearly 25 percent increase in a five-year span, up from 1,343 pedestrian-involved accidents in 2013. Pedestrian fatalities increased by 11 percent from 2017 to 2018, going from 123 to 136.

According to a report released by National Public Radio (NPR), a number of factors may be contributing to the rising number of pedestrian accidents:

• Cell phone use has increased dramatically for both pedestrians and drivers.
• There are more SUVs on the road, which are larger and heavier than typical cars. Consequently, pedestrians who are hit by SUVs are less likely to survive the amount of force being inflicted upon their bodies.
• Roads are ill-equipped to accommodate pedestrians and often do not have enough crosswalks.

Action will likely need to be taken on both a personal and governmental level to curb this issue and keep pedestrians safe.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a pedestrian traffic accident, consider speaking with a knowledgeable lawyer at the law firm of Bailey and Greer – we are always available to help with more information or a free evaluation of your case. You can contact us via our website or call (901) 475-7434.