Pedestrian fatalities have risen 46 percent since 2009 while overall traffic fatalities are up only 11 percent. Many experts agree that distraction is a factor in pedestrian crashes and that combating both distracted driving and walking would help reduce the number of incidents, injuries, and deaths.
Statistics show close links with the increase in pedestrian accidents to the introduction of the smartphone. According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, emergency room visits blamed on phone use spiked 83.5 percent from 17,851 in 2007-the year Apple introduced the iPhone-to 32,755 in 2016. That number is not surprising considering the number of active cell phones in the United States increased by 236 percent between 2010 and 2016.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that at any moment during daylight hours, about 481,000 drivers are handling cell phones or other electronic devices while driving in the United States. Distracted drivers are not only to blame. In 2017, United States pedestrian deaths totaled nearly 6,000, which is a sign that walkers might be equally distracted. This spike in pedestrian deaths comes despite improvements in vehicle safety, including rearview cameras, collision-alert technology, and automatic emergency braking systems.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a by a distracted driver, it is important to find a skilled law firm with experience handling personal injury cases. The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is the oldest personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys are standing by to assist with your claim. Call us today at (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211 for your free consultation.