It is no secret that pedestrian accidents injure a number of innocent victims every year. The NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts have compiled some interesting statistics that shed light on the problem. These statistics may contain some clues about how pedestrians can stay safe as well as how parents and caregivers can protect the groups most vulnerable to these types of accidents.
According to the NHTSA, 4,280 people were killed and 70,000 were injured in pedestrian accidents in 2010. These figures actually show a downward trend in pedestrian fatalities. The people who made up these statistics fall into several distinct groups.

• Older victims made up 18 percent of all deaths and 10 percent of all injuries. Victims over the age of 65 were far more likely to be killed than injured in a collision with a motor vehicle, and those who were injured tended to suffer more traumatic and debilitating injuries than younger victims.


• Twenty percent of all children age five to nine who was killed in a traffic accident were pedestrians. However, young children have a higher injury rate than death rate in these types of accidents, and tend to recover more quickly than older victims.


• About half of all pedestrian accidents, especially those that occur at night, involve alcohol. About 36 percent of all victims have a blood alcohol content or BAC of.08 or greater.

These statistics suggest several possibilities for preventing pedestrian accidents. The CDC and other organizations suggest the following:

• Most accidents involving pedestrians take place in non-intersections, so always cross the street in an available marked crosswalk. Be sure to observe warning and caution signals when crossing in a crosswalk, and never "dart" into any road, even if you do not think there are any vehicles in the area. Many pedestrians have been hit by a right-turning vehicle in an intersection crosswalk because they did not see the turning vehicle in time to avoid the accident.


• If you must walk at night, wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight or other bright signal that will help drivers see you. If you are walking at night, avoid walking close to traffic whenever possible and stay observant about other drivers. Drunk driving accidents increase by about 200 percent at night, so stay especially aware of your surroundings and the behavior of drivers.


• If you must walk on the side of the road, always face traffic, as drivers are much more likely to see you and register your presence.

Following basic safety tips on walking in traffic will go far in preventing you from becoming a statistic. Staying alert and putting away cell phones and other electronic devices is also important.
If you are the victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle, a pedestrian accident attorney can help you recover damages to pay for your injuries.