Intersections located in Escondido, Chula Vista, and Hillcrest are among the most dangerous places for a pedestrian to cross the street in the San Diego area, according to a recent report from CBS 8 News. The report discusses a new study that “is shedding light on pedestrian safety across San Diego County” and identifying areas where pedestrian accidents occur most often. That study explored accident reports going back to 2011 involving pedestrian injuries and fatalities. There are numerous reasons that motor vehicle drivers at these intersections crash into pedestrians, from issues of blind spots to sheer distracted driving. In some cases, pedestrians have been struck in hit-and-run accidents.

Which intersections and other pedestrian areas of San Diego should you recognize in terms of safety risks?

Why do Pedestrian Accidents Happen at Particular Intersections?

There are a number of reasons, according to the study, that pedestrian accidents occur at particular intersections in the San Diego area. As we noted above, in some circumstances, there are blindspot issues at intersections that can prevent drivers from seeing a pedestrian crossing the street. More often than not, however, distracted driving is the most common cause of crashes involving pedestrians. The distractions do not always come from within the vehicle.

Some of the most dangerous intersections pose risks because of distractions around the intersection itself, causing drivers to take their eyes off the road. The second-most dangerous intersection, which results largely from distracted driving, is the intersection at Valley Parkway and Midway Drive in Escondido. A total of 13 crashes and two fatalities have been reported there. The most dangerous intersection in the area, however, is at University Avenue and First in Hillcrest. At this intersection, distractions largely are not the problem. The report cites the intersection’s “poorly maintained crosswalks as well as its dim lighting.”

Other intersections in San Diego pose risks to pedestrians due to the amount of traffic. In other words, the more motor vehicles that travel through an intersection, the higher the risk of a collision. For instance, the intersection at Ulric Street and Linda Vista Road sees around 28,000 vehicles per day.

Making Changes to Intersections to Promote Pedestrian Safety

Some of the problems at these intersections could be easily repaired, while others may require additional consideration. For intersections where dangers arise from poor maintenance and poor lighting, the city could invest in repairs to help ensure pedestrian safety. For those intersections where a significant amount of traffic poses risks to pedestrians, the city will need to think carefully about issues of infrastructure and design.

In the meantime, what steps can pedestrians take to avoid injuries? The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recommends the following safety tips:

• Make yourself visible to motorists by wearing lightly colored clothing at night or brightly colored clothing during daylight hours;
• Avoid distracted walking and stay alert, which means avoiding texting while walking and the use of headphones;
• Obey traffic rules, including walk signs;
• Do not assume a driver will give you the right of way, even if you are entitled to the right of way;
• Try to make eye contact with drivers that are approaching before you cross the street;
• Use sidewalks whenever they are available;
• Do not walk along highways or other major roadways;
• Use crosswalks when they are available, and obey crosswalk signs; and
• Avoid alcohol consumption.

Contact an Escondido Car Accident Lawyer

Do you have questions about filing a pedestrian accident claim? An Escondido car accident attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Distracted Walking in Valley Center Vista Road Rage Accidents and Aggressive Driving

(image courtesy of Bethany Legg)

Many Valley Center residents have heard about the risks of distracted driving. Indeed, as a report from ABC News 10 discusses, on January 1, 2017 additional cell phone laws took effect that prevent California drivers from holding a phone or doing anything more than making a single tap or a single swipe. While drivers are still permitted to use cell phones as GPS devices, provided that they are mounted somewhere in the vehicle, the change to the law aims to prevent distracted driving accidents. What about distracted walking? While the term might sound like an odd one, it is becoming a relatively serious problem in California and throughout major urban areas in the country.

According to a recent report from KEYT News 3, a local official is proposing a change to the law. In short, in order to improve public safety, San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa is hoping to institute a distracted walking law that “would make it illegal to use the crosswalk while using your cell phone.” Is such a law likely to pass? Is it necessary to prevent pedestrian accidents?

Pedestrian Accidents on the Rise Due to Smartphone Use

According to the report, Canepa argues that the rising rates of distracted walking require a law to prohibit this behavior in certain places. Namely, looking at a smartphone to send a text or to surf the internet while crossing the street in a crosswalk can lead to a deadly collision. While automobiles are supposed to stop for anyone on foot who is crossing the street, this does not always happen. To be clear, although the automobile driver may be at fault for failing to come to a stop at a crosswalk, pedestrians should also think about their own safety and to put down the phone while crossing from one side of the street to another.

Canepa indicates that about 25% of car collisions in California right now involve pedestrians, and this number is on the rise. A likely explanation for this rise in this rate of distracted walking accidents is smartphones. More people are paying attention to the screens instead of to their surroundings. Canepa’s proposed law would allow police officers to cite any pedestrians who are looking down at smartphones while they are within a crosswalk. The idea is that the number of pedestrian accidents and fatalities would decline.

What Can You do to Prevent These Accidents?

Just how big of a problem is distracted walking? An article in Safety.com notes that about 5,000 pedestrians sustain fatal injuries each year, while 76,000 more suffer from serious nonfatal injuries. Experts are quite certain that distracted walking is at least part of the problem, and California would not be the first state to ban distracted walking in some capacity. New Jersey has already instituted a ban on texting while walking.

The article discusses a 2012 study conducted by researchers at SUNY-Stony Brook, which “found that those who texted while walking were 60 percent more likely to veer off line than non-texters.” The researchers behind the study as well as other in the film describe this as “inattentive blindness.” While use of the term “blindness” might seem like an exaggeration, the Stony Brook researchers highlighted how surprised they were to “find that talking and texting on a cell phone [was] so disruptive to one’s gait and memory recall of [a] target location.”

To prevent these accidents, it is important to pay attention while walking and especially while in a crosswalk. If you were injured in an accident caused by a distracted walker, you should speak with a Valley Center accident lawyer as soon as you can. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Improving Encinitas Pedestrian Safety on El Camino Real Vista Road Rage Accidents and Aggressive Driving

(image courtesy of Bethany Legg)

Pedestrian accidents happen a lot more frequently than they should in Encinitas, according to a recent article in The San Diego Union-Tribune. The city recognizes the particular risks for pedestrians who walk along El Camino Real, and the city is taking steps to try to make this stretch safer for anyone who is on foot. The city recently hired an expert to conduct a “walking audit” of El Camino Real with a group of participants and to make recommendations for preventing a pedestrian accident and improving safety in general for pedestrians in the area.

What can the city do to make Encinitas a more pedestrian-friendly place?

The “Walking Audit” and its Outcome

The “walking audit” was conducted by Dan Burden, a consultant hired by the city to work with participants to determine what kinds of safety measures could be taken to prevent pedestrian accidents on El Camino Real. The “walking audit” involved walking several miles with the participants down El Camino Real as they each pointed out “trouble spots” and “opportunities to do better.” Burden then developed a list of recommendations for Encinitas, and he presented them to the City Council shortly afterward.

What did Burden suggest for improving pedestrian safety on El Camino Real? He came up with two different types of recommendations—“easy fixes” as well as plans for more long-term improvement along the El Camino Real corridor.

Recommendations for Preventing Pedestrian Accidents

Here is what he recommended in terms of “easy fixes” in Encinitas:

• Plant trees in the roadway medians;
• Widen the sidewalks;
• Encourage any neighborhood shopping centers that are remodeling to link their properties to pedestrian pathways;
• Narrow certain vehicle traffic lanes on El Camino Real;
• “Colorizing” bike lanes to make them stand out better to motor vehicle operators; and
• Reduce the speed limit for vehicles on El Camino Real to 35 miles per hour.

As you might be able to guess, some of these “easy fixes” could be implemented without significant work—such as reducing the speed limit or planting trees—while others would require some substantial construction efforts, at least for a short period of time. What did Burden recommend in terms of long-term goals for reducing the rate of pedestrian accidents and fatalities on El Camino? He proposed cultivating better public and private partnerships with shopping centers along El Camino to develop pedestrian safety plans and creating a “theme” for this section of El Camino, and using it “as a decorative embellishment along the corridor.”

In other words, long-term plans should focus on raising awareness about pedestrian safety and more generally changing the way that Encinitas residents see their roles in promoting pedestrian safety along El Camino Real. According to Mayor Catherine Blakespear, the City Council “plans to set aside $250,000 in the coming fiscal year for improvements to El Camino and will use Burden’s advice as it explores how to spend that money.”

Contact an Encinitas Pedestrian Accident Attorney

If you or someone in your family suffered serious injuries in a pedestrian accident, you should speak to an Encinitas pedestrian accident lawyer to learn more about filing a claim for compensation. Contact the Walton law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Accidents in San Diego Fatal Pedestrian Accident in La Jolla

(image courtesy of Nabeel Syed)

In and around San Diego, there are a number of initiatives underway to help prevent accidents and child injuries in 2017. According to a fact sheet from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 12,000 children between the ages of 0 to 19 sustain fatal injuries each year in accidents. In addition to child fatalities, more than 9.2 million kids in the same age group sustain nonfatal injuries each year that result in treatment in emergency departments. Many of these incidents are preventable if we take safety precautions.

What steps are being taken around San Diego to help lower the number of child accidents and injuries? One recent report from The CW 6 San Diego indicates that new crosswalks have been installed around Point Loma schools, while another report from The CW 6 San Diego notes that a new car seat law in California aims to provide better protections to children under the age of two. What else do you need to know about recent safety steps and car accident precautions in the area?

Point Loma Crosswalk Aims to Prevent Child Pedestrian Accidents and Injuries

Last year, according to the news report, the city of San Diego City Council adopted a “Vision Zero” plan aimed at eliminating “all traffic deaths by 2025.” This plan includes developing pedestrian safety mechanisms, such as new crosswalks and signage throughout the city. In addition, the plan calls for “pedestrian countdown timers, audible pedestrian signals, street lighting, and flashing beacons to help make pedestrians and drivers more aware.”

One of the first steps in implementing the plan in 2017 involves the unveiling of a new, visible crosswalk behind Silver Gate Elementary School in Point Loma. It is particularly important to have visible crosswalks around schools where young children regularly cross the street and place themselves at risk of injury in a car accident. The CDC fact sheet indicates that traffic collisions are a leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 19, which includes elementary-aged kids.

New California Law Targets Car Accident Injury Prevention in Young Children

In addition to preventing motor vehicle deaths in pedestrian accidents by installing visible crosswalks around schools and throughout San Diego, the state of California has also instituted a new car seat law for kids under two years old. As the report reveals, the new law is one of three motor vehicle laws in California designed to prevent child injuries and deaths. This particular new law requires that kids who are under two years old must be strapped into a rear-facing car seat. There are exceptions for kids who weigh 40 pounds or are at least 40 inches tall. Safety experts, according to the report, indicate that “kids are four times safer when sitting rear-facing,” and “the longer they are in that position the better.”

It is important for parents in San Diego County to pay attention to this new law and to seek assistance if they do not know how to properly install a rear-facing car seat. According to safety advocates in the area, about 95% of rear-facing car seats are improperly installed, limiting the safety features of the seat and its position.

Discuss Your Case with a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer

If you have questions about filing a car accident lawsuit, or if your child was injured in a motor vehicle collision, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. A San Diego car accident attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.

See Related Blog Posts: UC San Diego Research on Traumatic Brain Injuries What Carlsbad Drivers Should Know About the IIHS Automobile Top Safety Picks

(image courtesy of Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia)

Carlsbad Pedestrian Struck on Freeway Shoulder How often do pedestrian accidents, in particular hit-and-run collisions, occur in the San Diego area? According to a recent report from The San Diego Union-Tribune, a hit-and-run pickup truck driver recently struck a pedestrian who had been stopped to help a motorist on the shoulder of a Carlsbad freeway. The report indicates that the victim was a 48-year-old man from Tijuana, and his injuries were so severe that he may not survive.

How did the pedestrian accident happen? According to the report, the victim “parked on the shoulder of northbound Interstate 5, south of Palomar Airport Road, to assist a friend whose vehicle was disabled.” At the time of the crash, he had been standing in front of his own vehicle. The pickup reportedly “veered onto the shoulder and hit him.” California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt indicated that, after striking the victim, the driver of the pickup truck simply continue driving before taking an exit onto Palomar Airport Road.

Emergency medical responders arrived at the scene and rushed the 48-year-old Tijuana man to a nearby trauma center to receive medical attention for “life-threatening injuries.” The police in Carlsbad have joined forces with the California Highway Patrol to search for the pickup, but neither the vehicle nor the driver in the hit-and-run collision have been located.

What should San Diego-area residents look for in order to help? Authorities believe the vehicle was a “newer-model, white Toyota Tacoma.” They also indicated that it would have damage from the collision, “on the right front and possibly the right side.” There is also a possibility that the pickup truck would have gotten a flat tire on the vehicle’s right side. Unfortunately, there is no detailed information available about the driver.

Hit-and-Run Accidents in Southern California The most recent hit-and-run accident is only one in a series of severe crashes that have resulted in life-threatening and fatal injuries to Southern California residents over the last several years. An article in USA Today described the number of hit-and-run crashes in Southern California as reaching “epidemic proportions” in recent years given the 13.7% increase in these accidents between 2009 and 2011. According to that article, about 60% of victims in hit-and-run collisions are pedestrians.

What can pedestrians in San Diego do to help avoid a serious accident? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the importance of understanding risk factors, which include:

• Being aged 65 or older (seniors account for nearly 20% of all pedestrian fatalities);
• 
  Being a child aged 13 or younger (kids in this age group also account for about 20% of pedestrian deaths);
• 
  Consuming alcohol (nearly 50% of car crashes that result in a pedestrian death involve alcohol consumption);
• 
  Walking in urban areas;
• 
  Crossing at non-intersection locations;
• 
  Walking in areas where vehicles are prone to higher speeds; and
• 
  Walking at night.

Hit-and-run accidents can result in serious and sometimes fatal injuries. If you or someone you love recently sustained injuries in a hit-and-run accident, you should discuss your options with an experienced San Diego pedestrian accident attorney. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Hit-and-Run Crashes Spike at End of Year Fatal Pedestrian Accident in La Jolla

(photo courtesy of Octavio Lopez)