Pedestrians are more vulnerable than ever in Louisiana. With drivers increasingly distracted, reckless and behaving in dangerous ways, the number of pedestrian collisions is on the rise and people need to know what causes these crashes and how to be safe.
Researchers are actively assessing these collisions to determine why they happen. The objective is to find solutions to improve safety for everyone. Worryingly for Baton Rouge residents, the city was found to have been in the top 10 for worst cities in the U.S. for pedestrian safety.
Pedestrian accident data stokes concern
Using statistics accrued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2018 through 2021, pedestrian safety was shown to be getting worse. In that time-frame, there was a national spike of nearly 16% in pedestrian deaths.
Baton Rouge came in 10th in the dubious rankings. For every 100,000 people who live in the city, the number of pedestrian deaths rose by more than 6%. Overall, an average of 13.5 pedestrians were killed every year. This was a 137.5% increase in the four years that were analyzed. Out of all auto accidents, there was a more than one-quarter increase in pedestrian deaths.
Auto accidents can happen to anyone at any time. People who are simply running an errand, children going to school, those heading to work and people exercising can be hit by a car or truck leaving them injured and wondering about the future. These numbers are sobering and even being more cautious might not be effective.
Injured pedestrians face a long road to recovery
Since pedestrians are not accorded any protection at all, they are prone to suffering catastrophic injuries. That includes traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, broken bones, cuts and internal injuries.
The treatment and aftercare for these injuries can be costly financially and leave loved ones needing assistance to help the injured person. Knowing how to recover can be a complicated process. Those who are in this situation should be aware of what they can do to hold drivers accountable after a pedestrian accident.