Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer discusses Fatal Pedestrian Injury in Clifton Heights
A graduate of Upper Darby High School and freshman at Neumann College tragically died at Mercy-Fitzgerald Hospital yesterday evening, as the result of a fatal car accident, while walking with friends along Baltimore Pike in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania. The accident occurred around 9:00 pm. His injured friend was rushed to University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where he remains under serious condition. The family says that the third friend walking with the teens was not injured during the accident.
It is not uncommon to see a car accident with pedestrian injury in the news. Unfortunately, pedestrians were one of the few groups of road users to experience an increase in fatalities in the United States, totaling 4,432 deaths in 2011, as cited by The National HighwayTraffic Safety Association. Hazardous winter driving conditions make car accidents involving pedestrian injury even more likely. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association makes it a priority to provide communities across America the expertise and resources needed to prevent these tragedies.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association offers the following advice to drivers, pedestrians, states, and communities.
• Drivers – Always stay watchful for pedestrians. This is particularly important in conditions where visibility is low. In particular, extra vigilance is required when passing through crosswalks and when backing up your vehicle. The likely victims of these accidents are children.
• Pedestrians – As a pedestrian, you must follow traffic rules, look before crossing streets, and behave in a predictable manner so that drivers can anticipate your actions. You should never assume a car can see you. Always walk facing traffic and make eye contact with drivers who are approaching you. Do not listen to music devices and avoid cell phones, as they take you attention away from the road.
• States and Communities – Partnerships with law enforcement, schools, and public health/safety groups to educate the public on pedestrian safety must be developed to prevent these tragedies from happening in your own community.
Pedestrian safety laws must be enforced. Identify local trouble spots and consult programs to prevent future accidents in these areas.