As pedestrian deaths soar, the government responds

In the wake of the steadily rising number of pedestrian fatalities on the roads in this country, the United States Department of Transportation, to issue its first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.

The Plan will involve cooperation between the federal government and local authorities.

The Plan comes as the country continues to struggle to control the number of pedestrian fatalities on America’s roads. As of 2019, pedestrians accounted for over 15% of all traffic deaths in the country. Moreover, the number of fatalities in 2019, just over 6,200, was nearly 45% higher than the number in 2010.

While much of it will revolve around improving our nation’s roads, crossings, sidewalks and traffic control devices, the Plan also calls for educating local law enforcement officers about pedestrian safety.

The federal government also plans to work toward reducing excessive speeds when pedestrians are near vehicles. The Plan also calls for a further investigation into how texting and driving and cell phone usage impacts pedestrian safety.

Distracted driving continues to be a problem in 2020

In this respect, despite fewer people being on the road, data shows that during 2020, drivers actually turned to their phones more often while behind the wheel.

Distracted driving, including texting and driving, is not the only reason why pedestrian fatalities have increased so much over the last decade. Still, one can easily see how distracted driving can contribute to pedestrian fatalities.

A motorist paying more attention to the phone or to another distraction, or even just daydreaming while driving, can quite easily fail to notice a pedestrian in the area and wind up hitting him or her.

Pedestrians in the New York area suffer injuries at the hands of a negligent driver, or the families of victims who die in a pedestrian accident, may have the option to pursue compensation for their losses.