In December of 2019, as part of its Vision Zero initiative, New York City installed a number of shocking billboards in an effort to reduce pedestrian injuries. One of these billboards shows a car in an intersection with a distraught driver and an overturned baby stroller. The billboard asks, “Was it Worth it?” Billboards will be placed throughout the city in Spanish and English and will all contain an image of a crumpled vehicle and a male driver distraught by his actions.
An Epidemic of Pedestrian Injuries
The first billboard went up days after 3-year-old Bertin de Jesus was killed in his stroller. Bertin was the sixth child pedestrian killed in 2019 in a year where pedestrian accidents are a huge problem in New York City. Pedestrian deaths accounted for more than half of traffic fatalities in New York City in 2019. This is in addition to the shocking increase in bicyclist deaths on city streets. While the city is taking steps under its Vision Zero plan to increase traffic safety, it is clearly not enough to protect pedestrians.
Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Attempting to cross the busy streets of New York City can be a nerve-wracking experience for pedestrians. Anytime a vehicle makes contact with a pedestrian, the pedestrian is the one who is killed or seriously injured. The force of a collision with a vehicle can result in serious head trauma, broken limbs, spinal cord injuries, or internal organ damage. Some common causes of pedestrian accidents include:
- Driver inattention—this is the most common cause of pedestrian accidents. Drivers are simply not paying attention to the road and their surroundings. Drivers looking at their phones or navigation systems, eating, or talking to passengers are a menace. In a crowded urban area, distracted driving can be devastating.
- Failure to yield—failure to yield to pedestrians is another major cause of pedestrian accidents. Drivers must yield to pedestrians who are crossing the street. Pedestrian accidents frequently occur when pedestrians are in the crosswalk, and a driver is making a turn at an intersection.
- Failure to obey traffic signs and signals—drivers who blow through stop signs and red lights can cause tragic pedestrian accidents.
- Speeding—when a driver is traveling at a high rate of speed, they will not have enough time to react to pedestrians crossing the street. The city has lowered the speed limit on many city streets, but speeding is still a major problem.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you should have an experienced personal injury attorney evaluate your case. At Bonina & Bonina, P.C., we have been helping pedestrians injured in accidents for over 50 years. Contact us online or call us at 1-888-MEDLAW1 to schedule your free consultation. Home and hospital visits are available. Se habla español.