senior pedestrians

Published on: June 20, 2024

Older Pedestrians More Likely to be Injured in Falls Than Auto Accidents

While pedestrians overall are more likely to be injured in auto accidents, older pedestrians above the age of 50 are more likely to suffer serious personal injuries when they are involved in slip and fall accidents, compared to auto accidents.

There has been much focus recently on personal injuries involving pedestrians in car accidents. The increase in pedestrian accidents is being blamed for an overall spike in the number of people being personally injured in auto accidents across the country. Researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health analyzed data involving pedestrians who had suffered personal injuries in slip and fall accidents, and compared the data with the numbers involving pedestrians involved in auto accidents.

The Columbia University study found that while the risk to pedestrians involved in auto accidents remains high, the overall public burden is greater when older pedestrians are injured in slip and falls in comparison. The study found that 32 percent of pedestrian personal injuries in auto accidents were defined as “emergency” or “critical”. In comparison, 19% of persons who suffered slip and falls had personal injuries that were defined as “emergency” or “critical.” However, pedestrians above the age of 50 in fall accidents were 3.9 times more likely to suffer “emergent” or “critical” injuries, compared to ones who had been involved in auto accidents. In fact, the Columbia University study described as alarming the number of older pedestrians who suffered serious personal injuries after fall accidents and needed emergency care.

Published on: September 13, 2022

These Three Road Design Changes Could help Prevent Senior Pedestrian Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Senior pedestrians are at a higher risk of being involved in auto accidents when they are out walking. However, a new study finds that simple improvements to road design can help significantly reduce the risk for older pedestrians.

Seniors between the age of 65 and 74 have some of the highest pedestrian accident rates. In 2021, more than 700 pedestrian accidents involved persons in this age group.

In the study, researchers specifically focused on walking safety for seniors above the age of 65. They thoroughly reviewed four years worth of crash data involving elderly pedestrians involved in car accidents, and found in their analysis that specific changes made to road design could help lower the risk for senior pedestrians.

Published on: June 12, 2011

Lack of Street Planning Exposes Atlanta Seniors to Pedestrian Accidents, Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Elderly pedestrians account for just 13% of the American population, but comprise 22% of all pedestrian accident deaths here.It doesn’t take an Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyerto understand that these pedestrians are simply at a higher risk of being fatally injured in accidents.However, the situation could get worse.As the nation’s baby boomers step into their mid-60s, transportation safety advocates expect these pedestrian safety problems to explode.

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.