Georgia Injury Law Blog
While a Congressional hearing considers the safety impact of daylight savings time changes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling on lawmakers to focus on reducing the risk of car accidents involving pedestrians after sundown. Car accidents involving pedestrians often involve very serious personal injuries and wrongful deaths.
It is no secret that pedestrian accident risks increase significantly during low visibility conditions like during night time. A person’s risk of being struck by a car is far higher when he or she is walking in the dark, compared to when he or she is walking in the daytime. There have been congressional hearings recently to analyze the impact of daylight savings time changes on both motorists as well as pedestrians, and simultaneously, calls from some quarters to eliminate daylight savings time changes altogether, because these changes increase car accident risks. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling on lawmakers to focus on a much broader issue instead – the fact that both motorists as well as pedestrians are at risk during low visibility conditions, regardless of daylight savings time changes.
Low visibility simply makes it harder for motorists to see pedestrians in time to avoid hitting them. For this reason, it is important for pedestrians to avoid walking in the dark as much as possible. If you must walk around after sundown, make sure that you are wearing reflective clothing that makes it easier for drivers to spot you. Avoid basic mistakes like walking around in dark-colored clothing. Reflective fluorescent jackets and hats are the ideal clothing to wear in the dark. Look into reflective tape that you can fix on your clothes. Remember, the more visible you are, the more likely a motorist will see you in time to avoid hitting you.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is also calling for lawmakers to accelerate the pace of infrastructure improvements across the country, with the goal of making it safer for people to walk at night. These infrastructure improvements include simple features like expanding illumination on roads, especially at crosswalks, and installing pedestrian beacons. Motorists driving at high speeds are a very real threat to pedestrians walking in the dark. Laws that restrict speeds can help protect pedestrians and prevent auto accidents.
State and local transportation officials must also prioritize the expansion of other speed reduction features like road designs that encourage motorists to slow down. There have been studies that have identified certain illumination technology as the most effective in helping protect pedestrians and making motorists aware of their presence. These must be used to enhance pedestrian safety.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical costs, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.