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Pedestrian accident fatalities across the country are up, and in New Jersey, where pedestrian safety has always been a hot button issue, New Jersey personal injurylawyers have reason to be especiallyconcerned.
New Jersey's ratio of pedestrian fatalities is one of the worst in the country, with only a more congested state like New York bearing a higher pedestrian fatality ratio. In New Jersey, 556 pedestrian accident fatalities occurred in 2010, and out of these, 139 were pedestrians. In order to understand how serious an issue pedestrian safety is in New Jersey, consider that pedestrian fatalities accounted for 25% of accident fatalities in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nationally, pedestrian accident fatalities accounted for just 13% of all traffic accident fatalities.
In South Jersey, concerns are especially high. In that region, two teenagers were killed in a motor vehicle accident on July 31. In fact, the South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance has been trying to promote awareness about pedestrian rights and the need to look out for pedestrians at all times.
New Jersey Personal InjuryLawyers’ Top Pedestrian Safety Tips
According to the South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance, pedestrians can take steps to remain safe. There is nothing that you can do to change driving behavior, and you can't stop a driver from driving while intoxicated. However, you can reduce your risk of an accident by making sure that you are visible to all drivers. Wear brightly colored clothing in order to stand out in a crowd, and wear reflective clothing at night when the chances for a pedestrian accident are even greater. Stick reflective tape to accessories like your bag to make sure that you are visible to drivers.
Keep to sidewalks while walking, and make sure that you cross only at marked and designated crosswalks (although that is not always possible, especially in a state like New Jersey where many cities have poorly planned crosswalks that are inaccessible to pedestrians). Motorists should look out for pedestrians at all times, especially in accident-magnets areas like intersection crossings.
The New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Helmer Paul Conley and Kasselman represent persons who have been injured in accidents across New Jersey.
