For those in cars, the evidence is clear that the greatest risk is faced at higher speeds. This is why people tend to talk about the risks of driving on rural roads, where low traffic levels may make accidents less common, but where higher speed limits make them more likely to be fatal.
But this doesn’t always hold true for pedestrians. No matter the speed the vehicle is traveling at, a pedestrian is at serious risk of severe injuries if they are struck by that vehicle. The odds of death are higher at faster speeds, but fatal injuries are still more likely for a pedestrian – who has no protection – than for someone in a car moving at a low speed.
Most pedestrian accidents are in urban areas
Evidence of this is shown in the fact that urban accidents lead to the most pedestrian deaths. Part of this is that there are simply more pedestrians in these areas, increasing the general risk of accidents between the two. But part of it is that pedestrians may be severely injured in accidents at only 10 or 15 miles an hour, so it doesn’t take much for an accident to turn fatal.
After all, if someone strikes their head in a simple slip and fall accident, that can turn fatal without the influence of a vehicle at all. If you’re knocked down by a car, even if that driver was slowly turning through the crosswalk as you tried to cross the street, striking your head could lead to a traumatic brain injury. This is just one example of how low-speed accidents can be so severe.
If you are seriously injured or if you lose a loved one, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
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