Last year, 32,885 people died in auto accidents across the United States. That was a drop of 2.9% from 2009. These were the lowest traffic accident death numbers on record since 1949. These accident fatality numbers have declined even as the number of miles being driven by American motorists increased in 2010. In fact, there was a drop in almost all categories of car accident deaths last year, including drunk driving accidents. 

However, pedestrians were not safer in 2010. Pedestrian accident deaths actually increased last year by about 4.2% from 2009. Further, the number of persons who suffered a personal injury in pedestrian accidents in the United States increased by a staggering 19 %. Overall, more than 70,000 pedestrians were injured in accidents last year. That increase is puzzling considering that it comes after 4 straight years of declining pedestrian accident death numbers in the US. 

Federal transportation officials do not have any explanation for this increase in pedestrian accident fatality numbers. However, the data is still new, and we may have more answers in the months ahead.   There are some theories about the reasons for this increase. According to Transportation for America, a pedestrian advocacy organization, there has been an increase in the number of people walking and biking to work in recent months. However, even though there has been an increase in the number of pedestrians, safety conditions have not really improved. 

There's also some speculation that an increase in pedestrian distractions is also contributing to increasing accident numbers. However, Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers find that hard to believe. There seems to be little evidence to indicate that there has been any increase in pedestrian distractions, like cell phone use while walking.

Unfortunately, this particular area of traffic safety seems to suffer from a lack of research. There is very little solid data available about pedestrian and motorist behaviors as far as pedestrian safety is concerned. However, there are some details that are accepted as fact. For instance, drunk driving seems to be a major factor in pedestrian accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, approximately 40% of all pedestrian accident deaths in the country were caused by drunk drivers. Atlanta pedestrian accident attorneys expect safety initiatives in the months ahead to focus on both distracted driving and drunk driving involving both pedestrian and motorists.

The Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent pedestrians who have been injured in accidents in the Atlanta region and across Georgia.

According to police, Johnson had been talking on a cell phone at the time of the accident. She had also taken antidepressant medications just before the accident. She now faces a number of charges, including vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and hit and run. Police also believe that she was driving under a suspended license. Additionally, she faces charges of reckless driving as well charges related to cell phone use while driving and lack of insurance. Personal injury attorneys have repeatedly warned about the dangers of distracted driving as well as driving under the influence of medications. Unfortunately, these tragedies will continue to occur until we toughen our laws in these areas.  

According to one of her friends, at the time of the accident, she was on the cell phone having a quarrel with her husband. The friend has confirmed that she had taken antidepressants before she started driving, and had been impaired at the time of the accident.

It'll take more than a single blog post to enumerate the risks that Atlanta's pedestrians face on a daily basis. However, one of the biggest challenges is the one posed by impaired drivers. Most people assume that impairment is the result of driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs. However, a motorist can be impaired when he is driving under the influence of prescription drugs. Such dangers are especially high in older drivers, who may be on more than one medication for a number of health ailments. Antidepressants, for instance, can leave a person suffering from insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and dizziness. A person might suffer from severe hand tremors. All of these symptoms can severely impact a person's ability to drive safely.

The Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent pedestrians injured in accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

The metro Atlanta area is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians. However, other, more sprawling parts of the state are just as susceptible. Police report that a driver was backing a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica through the parking lot at Lenora Park on Lenora Church Road when her vehicle suddenly struck a stroller being pushed by a pedestrian. The infant in the stroller died of her injuries at Children's Healthcare at Egleston in Atlanta and the police are left with analyzing how this pedestrian accident occurred. As police attempt to determine the answer, they are on the search for witnesses who may be able to confirm that the mother was crossing in a crosswalk when the car accident occurred near Snellville, Georgia.

For personal injury attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia, this incident is eerily similar to another high-profile jaywalking case that garnered national media attention this summer.  Raquel Nelson is an Atlanta mother who was charged and convicted with vehicular homicide when her son was killed while crossing a street with her – out of the crosswalk. The case galvanized the country, and finally resulted in Nelson being awarded the option for a new trial.  The trial is slated to begin October 25, 2011.

In Nelson’s case, the driver had a previous record, was blind in one eye and had questionable blood alcohol content. In this most recent incident, the incident report indicates that while the driver’s vehicle held six occupants, alcohol was not a contributing factor. The website for WBS radio indicates that one witness told authorities the mother pushed the stroller from between two legally parked vehicles and into the path of the SUV. The story of other witnesses may differ.

On the other hand, there also arises the question of whether the driver was operating within the actual roadway, or whether she was crossing over multiple parking spaces as drivers are sometimes wont to do. Under O.C.G.A. 40-6-240 (a), the driven might even be charged with improper backing. That particular code states that a “driver shall not back a vehicle unless such movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic.”

Either way, parking lot cases are a tricky thing, even for the most seasoned investigators. It’s no wonder multiple witnesses are being sought in this case.

A candlelight vigil was held for the 1-year-old near the park, where hundreds came out to show their support for the family. A Facebook page has been set up in her memory and more than 400 people have already joined in support.

For Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers, a look at the list suggests that nothing much has changed since Transportation for America came out with its pedestrian safety report last year. The Atlanta region continues to be fraught with pedestrian accident risks, a situation that is only likely to get worse as more pedestrians choose to walk.

According to the list, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta region had a Pedestrian Danger Index of 119.3. The Transportation for America researchers arrived at the Pedestrian Danger Index for each region by calculating the number of pedestrian accident deaths for the region, relative to the amount of actual walking being done in that area. The researchers accounted for the fact that regions that have more pedestrians are likely to see more numbers of pedestrian accidents. The Pedestrian Danger Index allowed the researchers to compare diverse regions with varying pedestrian safety factors. 

Based on this Pedestrian Danger Index, Transportation for America has found that the Orlando-Kissimmee region in Florida is the country’s most dangerous area for pedestrians, with a Pedestrian Danger Index of 255.4. In fact, Florida accounts for some of the deadliest cities for pedestrians, with the first four spots on the list going to cities in the sunshine State.

There is more bad news for Atlanta pedestrians in the report. According to the statistics, pedestrian accident fatalities in the metro Atlanta region actually increased over a ten-year period. There were seventy-one fatalities in the year 2000, and these increased dramatically to 94 in 2004, and 77 in 2010. However, during this period of time, there was a decline in overall auto traffic accident fatalities. This means that pedestrian safety efforts in the Atlanta region have simply not kept pace with the progress that has been made in reducing auto accident wrongful deaths.

Another interesting finding from the study was that pedestrian fatalities tend to be greater in areas that are ethnically and racially diverse. People from Hispanic and other minority communities, and those from low-income groups are much more likely to be involved in accidents because these people have no other convenient transportation options. Atlanta has a diverse population with a mass transit system that is far too limited for the size and scope of the city and metropolitan area. Perhaps it's time that transportation safety agencies here target pedestrian safety initiatives to reach a broader range of people.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now posted a notice on its website, as the first step towards rules that will mandate manufacturers of electric and hybrid cars to install noisemaking devices in their vehicles. The rule will cover not just cars, but also motorcycles, buses and trucks. Hybrid vehicles can be a pedestrian safety threat, because they emit very low levels of noise. They make much lower noise than internal combustion engines, and as a result, pedestrians may not hear an approaching vehicle. 

Some pedestrians may be at a higher risk of being involved in an accident with an electric car. For instance, visually impaired pedestrians who rely very heavily on their sense of hearing to detect accident hazards, may be at a special risk of being involved in a car accident with an ultra quiet electric car. Children, whose senses are not developed fully, may also be at high risk when they fail to hear an approaching car. It is the safety of these pedestrians that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  wants to address.

In October 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that electric and hybrid vehicles were involved in a disproportionate number of accidents involving pedestrians, compared to gas-powered vehicles. An additional study conducted in April 2010, found that electric cars with their low levels of noise were dangerous for visually impaired pedestrians.

Some electric cars currently do come with noisemaking devices. An example is the Chevrolet Volt. However, in these cars, the system is purely voluntary, and the motorist is free to switch the system on or off. This defeats the purpose of having a device like this, which can automatically warn pedestrians of an approaching car. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice does not mention what kind of system the agency will call for, but it is likely to be a device that emits a sound similar to the sound of an internal combustion engine. As Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers, we believe that the NHTSA needs to work on balancing new auto technologies with the safety of the most vulnerable like pedestrians or bicyclists.

The family had been using public transportation to shop all day and the bus had just dropped the family off at the bus stop. The nearest crosswalk was half a mile away, it was getting dark, and the mother made a decision that would forever alter her life. She and her three children were hurrying across the four-lane highway, when a driver plowed through the family in his van.

The driver, who had previously been convicted of two separate hit-and-run incidents, was also blind in one eye and confessed to consuming alcohol and painkillers on the day of the April 2010 incident. He has already completed his six month sentence and is now serving five years probation, reports the New York Daily News. The mother, who has not yet had a chance to grieve her loss or heal from her own wounds, faced up to three years in prison and the additional loss of her two surviving daughters, prior to a July 26 sentencing that assigned her one year’s probation or gave her the option of a new trial. She chose a new trial.

In the wake of sentencing, many have questioned whether the mother will seek compensation for her loss. The answer? In the legal world, it all comes down to fault.
Generally, when it comes to car accidents, fault is determined by the law of negligence. The negligent person is the person who fails to exercise a reasonable standard of care under the circumstances. In many cases, both the driver and the pedestrian can be found negligent. However, the way the pedestrian-motorist accident scenario is treated varies by state.

In Georgia, the standard is proportional comparative fault. This means an injured person that is less than 50% at fault for the accident is entitled to compensation. If the injured party is 50% or more at fault, he or she is not entitled to recovery for the injury. For example, as is the case here, the pedestrian may be crossing the street illegally while the driver is traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. But factor in other intervening events – like the driver’s former convictions for the same offense, his eyesight and his blood alcohol level – and the scale seems to tip in the favor of the pedestrian. Ultimately, it’s up to judge or jury to decide.

Not only are seniors living much longer, but they are also living healthier lives. A 65-year-old American today probably lives independently, and walks a lot for leisure for health. Unfortunately, these persons are likely walking on streets that have not been designed with their safest interests in mind. 

Many of the streets were designed decades ago, when there were fewer numbers of pedestrians on the street, let alone elderly pedestrians. In those days, streets were designed for automobiles only. An elderly person is slower than most people for who our crosswalks were designed. That's a fact of life, and street planning has not taken this into consideration.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-slow-walkers-20110612,0,2669866.story

The woman was walking on the crosswalk when she was hit by the truck driven by 19-year-old Dalton Mason. He was arrested by police a little while later at his home in Acworth. He has been charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian, failure to stop at a stop sign and other charges. Preliminary investigations seem to suggest that the pedestrian had the right-of-way here.

Preventing pedestrian accidents in Atlanta is going to be even more challenging in the summer with more pedestrians on the street. Besides, rising gas prices have already meant more pedestrians choosing to walk to work than drive. These pedestrians are likely to be at risk from motorists who fail to respect even a pedestrian's most basic rights. 

Failure to yield to a pedestrian is one of the most basic rights of a pedestrian. However, every year, Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers come across a number of cases involving pedestrians who had the right-of-way, but were struck anyway because a driver could not be bothered to yield.

This summer, motorists must be careful about looking out for pedestrians as they drive. Look out for pedestrians at crosswalks, and waiting to cross the road at intersections. When you see a pedestrian cross the road, slow down and wait till the pedestrian has crossed the street. Do this even if the pedestrian is not on a crosswalk.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, most of those deaths occurred on Atlanta streets. Out of the 18 deaths, 11 occurred in Atlanta. At least some of those accidents also involved motorcycle deaths and pedestrian accidents resulting in deaths. In Atlanta, a student at Georgia Tech was killed in a motorcycle accident when his motorcycle was struck by a drunk driver. Another motorcycle accident was recorded in Lilburn over the weekend. 

Heavy traffic and motorists rushing to get to their destination during the holiday were responsible for many of the fatalities. In one accident, a 19-year-old motorist escaped injuries when his car flipped over. As he was standing outside the car checking out the damage, he was struck by a passing vehicle. He died at the scene.

Some deaths this holiday were linked to red light violations. A 16-year-old driver in Roopville allegedly ran a red light and struck another vehicle. Both the teen driver and the occupant of the other vehicle were killed. 

There has been no official word about the reason for the dramatic spike in auto accident fatalities and injuries this Memorial Day weekend over the last year. However, as Atlanta car accident attorneys, weare already concerned about the fact that the year’s peak travel season has only just begun. Hopefully, the Memorial Day death toll won't be an indicator of what we can expect over the next three months. To everyone out there - drive safely, do not drink and drive, and switch off your cell phone while driving.

According to Atlanta Police, a group of four young men seem to have stolen a Dodge Intrepid. The two children, aged seven and nine were walking on a sidewalk with their mother. The nine-year-old child suffered from cerebral palsy, and was in a wheelchair. The child was thrown out of the wheelchair when the car struck, and was slammed on the pavement. The younger child suffered a broken arm. The mother also suffered injuries.

According to several witnesses, the car had been traveling erratically down the road just before the accident. The four young men got out of the car and fled the scene of the accident. The police are still looking for these men as investigations continue.

The mother here did not do anything wrong. She and the children were walking on the sidewalk as they were supposed to. 

In 2007, nonprofit group, Safe Kids Worldwide announced a decline in the number of children aged 14 and below being killed in pedestrian accidents over the past decade. According to Safe Kids, fatal pedestrian child fatalities fell by about 40% between 1995 and 2004. However, the group warned that much more needed to be done to encourage safe walking in children. 

The First Lady has been trying to encourage walking in children to help reduce childhood obesity. I very much agree with her efforts and support them. However, as Atlanta pedestrian accident attorneys, we believe that any campaign to increase walking aimed at children, must come with a focus on creating a safe environment for children to walk in.

There's no doubt that a pedestrian in Atlanta is at serious risk of injuries in an accident. For example in Georgia, pedestrian accidents make up just 1% of all traffic accidents, but these deaths account for 10% of all traffic accident fatalities every year. 

Few cities in the country have the kind of congested traffic that Atlanta has, and pedestrians and bicyclists have a big role to play in relieving some of this traffic. It's the reason why Atlanta bicycle accident lawyers believe in the need to encourage bicycling and walking as sustainable, efficient, and most importantly, safe means of transportation. However, encouraging biking in Georgia has been an upward climb, because of the high risk of injuries to bicyclists here. 

Unfortunately, in Georgia, pedestrian accidents and bicyclist accident accidents are part of the risks from walking or biking.  However, that risk can be reduced. In 2010, Georgia adopted the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan that includes a number of measures aimed at increasing safety for bikers and pedestrians in the state. For instance, the plan would invest in educating transportation professionals on bicycle design and pedestrian safety, as well as increasing the number of crosswalk enforcements. The plan would also identify pedestrian and bicycle accident hotspots across Georgia, and look into the installation of safety features that could prevent these accidents. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan needs to be implemented in its entirety as quickly as possible.

The Insurance Institute has studied technologies that can help prevent these accidents, and for this, it has analyzed the most common kinds of pedestrian accident scenarios. Between 2005 and 2009, 224,000 pedestrians were involved in front-impact accidents involving single passenger vehicles. Out of these 13,193 pedestrians were killed.

According to the Insurance Institute, the most common kinds of pedestrian accident scenarios involve a person crossing the road, and a car traveling straight ahead towards the pedestrian. In these cases, the motorist has a clear view of the pedestrian, but is unable to stop in time. The Insurance Institute study is promoting the use of forward collision warning systems, including pedestrian technology, to prevent these accidents. Forward collision warning systems have been very popular for some time now. These systems allow the driver to detect an object that is in the path of the car, thereby encouraging him to apply the brakes, and prevent an accident. Some of these systems now come with pedestrian detection technology that enables the driver to detect not only an object, but also a pedestrian in the car’s path.

In the European Union, automakers are now performing design modifications to the front of the vehicle to reduce the severity of injuries to pedestrians in an accident. Something similar to this could help reduce pedestrian deaths in the United States too, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has failed to pursue similar initiatives here.

The study came out of a spike in pedestrian accidents involving senior motorists in Israel. The researchers were looking at the specific challenges an elderly motorist faces as far as pedestrian safety is concerned. The researchers placed older motorists in a simulator, and measured their responses to vital safety signals. 

They found that drivers above the age of 65 were half as likely to spot a pedestrian as younger drivers. Not only that, they also found that senior motorists were just half as likely to tap the brakes when they spotted a pedestrian on the curb or sidewalk, as younger drivers. This signifies one of two things-either these motorists don't spot a pedestrian in time to react, or they don't consider pedestrians a serious accident hazard. Either of these theories spells danger for any pedestrian in the path of an elderly motorist.

Previous scientific studies have focused on elderly motorists’ diminished ability to focus on objects or persons in their peripheral vision. Scientists believe that this is a natural part of aging, but fortunately, it doesn't have to mean that older motorists are doomed to miss pedestrians or objects that fall outside their peripheral vision. For instance, there are brain games like Lumosity that older motorists can play to develop those areas of the brain that are responsible for focusing on objects in their peripheral vision.

The study was conducted at the University of Rochester, and found that older people have impaired activity in the medial temporal visual area of the brain. This part of the brain suppresses movement in the background, so that the person can focus clearly on objects in the foreground. In elderly people, this section of the brain may be impaired. They may find it easy to perceive movement in the background, but not so easy to see objects that are in the foreground. That is why Atlanta car accident attorneys so often find elderly motorists involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists.

The researchers used a technique called Transcranial Magnetics Stimulation, which involved attaching a magnetic card to the subject’s head, and measuring the activity of the MT area of the brain. The MT area was stimulated using electrical signals, and the researchers analyzed how well the subjects in the study identified the movement of objects. They found that when the MT area of the brain was impaired, the person could readily and easily identify objects in the background.

These results provide clues to at least one of the issues that affect elderly drivers, and also suggest that these drivers may be distracted by objects in the background because of impaired MT area activity as a result of their age. As Atlanta car accident lawyers, we believe that these results can be used to fine-tune driving programs for elderly motorists.

Lewis was driving a Cobb County transit bus when it struck a 54-year-old pedestrian. The bus struck the woman as it was turning left at a light. According to witnesses, the woman apparently saw the bus pulling out of the Hamilton Holmes Marta Station, and tried to walk faster, but she was struck by the rear of the bus, and fell to the ground. She suffered a severe leg and a broken ankle. According to Cobb County Representatives, the driver will be removed from service, pending completion of the investigation.

This pedestrian accident comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports on an increase in pedestrian wrongful deaths around the country. The increase is minimal, just .4%, but it comes after four continuous years of declining pedestrian accident deaths.

What Atlanta pedestrian accident attorneys have found extremely unfortunate is that the blame is often placed on pedestrians for this increase in wrongful deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration squarely blames pedestrians who are distracted while walking, or walking in a state of intoxication, for this increase in pedestrian deaths. Although this may be true at times, many pedestrian accidents occur every year because of failure to yield to pedestrians, especially those who are on crosswalks.

Across the country, there was a .4% increase in pedestrian accident fatalities in the first six months of 2010. That increase came after several half-yearly estimates that showed a decline in pedestrian accident deaths over the past four years. The feds are at a loss to explain this increase. . An increase of .4% may not seem like much, but for any Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer, any sudden spike like this should sound alarm bells.

One of the theories that are being thrown about for this increase in pedestrian accident fatalities, is simply more numbers of people taking to the streets. First Lady Michelle Obama has a nationwide anti-obesity campaign in full swing, and part of that includes Americans getting out of their cars and walking to work. Besides, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is pointing to an increasing number of pedestrians plugged to their music systems, smart phones and other gadgets while walking. A distracted pedestrian is at a much higher risk of being injured in an accident.

However, federal agencies including the Governor’s Highway Safety Association seem to be focusing all the blame on pedestrians. They are harping on intoxicated pedestrians. Much of the blame for this increase should be shared by city planners who have failed to design roads that factor in the needs of pedestrians, and distracted/intoxicated/speeding motorists who fail to look out for pedestrians.

According to the NHTSA, more than 70,000 injuries occur in back over pedestrian accidents every year. Of these, more than 2,000 injuries involve little children. According to the federal agency, every year, between 95 and 112 lives could be saved in back over pedestrian accidents if such cameras are mandated in all vehicles. Besides, installation of these cameras could prevent up to 8,300 injuries. The NHTSA plans to require automakers to have these backup camera systems installed in 10% of their vehicles by September 2012, 40% of their vehicles by September 2013, and in all their vehicles by September 2014.

The biggest tragedy in most back over accidents involving children, is that the person driving the car is usually a parent, grandparent or a close relative. These pedestrian accidents often involve bigger vehicles, like sports utility vehicles and minivans. These vehicles are also heavily popular with families. Blind spots in a motorist’s rear vision may block a little child who is playing, walking or standing behind a car, with terrible consequences.

As Atlanta car accident lawyers, we know the devastating emotional toll that an accident like this can wreak. The tragedy is that many of these pedestrian accidents can be prevented by installing backup cameras, which are easily available in the market. These cameras are inexpensive, costing only between $159 and $203.

The end of daylight saving time and the setting of clocks an hour back, could mean an increased risk of auto and other accidents in Atlanta, especially those involving pedestrians. That warning comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is cautioning motorists in Georgia and around the country to take special care to avoid pedestrians.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, out of the 4,092 pedestrian fatalities that occurred last year, 25 percent occurred between 4 PM and 8 PM, while 13 percent occurred between 4 AM and 8 AM. These are some of the most dangerous times for motorists and pedestrians. As motorists get used to the new low-light driving conditions, they are much more likely to miss pedestrians walking on the street. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is warning that adjusting to the new driving conditions can take time, and voters may be disoriented, confused or just plain distracted during these times.

It's important for motorists to look out especially carefully for pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks. Make sure that your windshield, mirrors and windows are clean, so that you can see pedestrians and other motorists. Remember that many pedestrians are wearing earmuffs and hats at this time of the year, and may not be able to hear your vehicle. Slow down speeds. 

Pedestrians should also wear brightly colored or reflective clothing to ensure that they are visible to motorists at all times. Carry a flashlight when you go out during the early morning or early evening hours. Avoid distractions while you're walking. Switch off your iPod - distractions make it harder for you to hear an approaching car. Stay on the sidewalks as much as possible, and cross the street on a marked and designated crosswalk if at all possible. 

TheAtlanta pedestrian accident  lawyersat the Katz Law Firm represent injured pedestrians in accidents in and around the metro Atlanta region, and across Georgia.

Both parents and motorists have a big role to play in keeping children safe over Halloween by preventing pedestrian accidents. If your child is trick-or-treating on Halloween, make sure that there's an escort with the children at all times. Explain all traffic safety rules to your child. Avoid dressing up a child in large and cumbersome costumes that can pose a potential slip and fall hazard. The costumes must be simple, but as colorful as possible. Bright colors can help a driver see your child in the dark. If that's not possible, stick some reflective tape on the costume. Try and avoid masks and large hats as much as possible. These may obstruct your child's vision, and he may fail to notice an approaching car. Facial makeup can easily substitute for a mask. Children must also avoid trick-or-treating in unlit or busy areas. 

Motorists can do their bit by being aware that there are hundreds of children out there for whom safety might be a low priority. Unless it is it absolutely essential, avoid driving on Halloween night. If you have to drive, make sure that you are extra focused and alert. Avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, and switch off all distractions while driving. That includes your music system, your GPS navigation system and your cell phones and Blackberry/iPhones. Look out especially hard for children at crowded intersections or near crosswalks. Watch out for children who may suddenly dart into the road.

The Atlanta car accident attorneys at our firm would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Halloween!

Atlanta Is Most Dangerous City in the World for Pedestrians

GOOD magazine has taken pedestrian fatality statistics from 21 international cities, and has ranked them on safety. It isn't surprising, but still a matter of shame to us, that that the city of Atlanta has been named the most dangerous in the world for those who wish to walk. 

In Atlanta, according to the study, there are 10.97 pedestrian fatalities for every 100,000 pedestrians. Most of the other positions on the list are also taken up by American cities, outlining the danger pedestrians in the US face compared to those in some European and Asian cities. Detroit, Los Angeles, Baltimore Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Boston and Seattle occupied the other top positions on the list. New York and Portland seem to be some of the safest large cities in the US for pedestrians. Even Tokyo with its heavy density of population seems to be a much safer city for pedestrians than most American cities.

As expected, there has already been much outcry about the veracity of a list like this, especially among Atlantans. Whether you agree with the results of the study or the manner, in which pedestrians in different cultures have been compared here, is beside the point. Anybody who’s lived in Atlanta for any period of time will tell you, that this isn't exactly the safest city for pedestrians or bicyclists. The fact that that there are close to 11 fatalities for every 100,000 people who choose to walk to work every day, should be a matter of concern.

Nationwide, there's currently much talk of developing other modes of transportation, and the US DOT is encouraging more people to bike and walk to relieve congested streets. We're not going to see much success with those efforts in Atlanta, if we continue to have such absurd pedestrian fatality rates.

The Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of pedestrian accidents in and around the metro Atlanta region, and across Georgia.