Slower speeds and safer designs save lives, but accident victims still face uphill battles with insurance
For decades, cities and other public entities designed most streets with cars in mind first. However, that approach is starting to change, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which recently noted that many communities now prioritize non-motorists in an effort to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents.
“Small changes in vehicle speeds lead to dramatic changes in the chance that a pedestrian can survive a crash, my IIHS colleagues recently found,” noted a recent IIHS article that cited a study focusing on the link between increased vehicle speeds and pedestrian accidents.
So what are city planners doing to make streets safer for pedestrians and all road users? How many communities are taking steps to prevent pedestrian accidents? And just how bad are pedestrian accidents nationwide and in Indiana? Our pedestrian accident lawyers at Glaser & Ebbs, Attorneys At Law, break down what you should know.
Communities are making city streets safer for everyone
Instead of focusing on how to keep traffic moving as quickly as possible, many city planners have adopted a different approach in recent years. That approach prioritizes public safety over reduced driving times.
One of the easiest ways to make streets safer for everyone is to reduce the speed limit, according to the IIHS. In particular, some communities have started lowering speed limits on residential streets by 5 to 10 mph.
In the past, many speed limits were set based on the 85th percentile speed, according to IIHS. This means the speed limit was set based on the speed at which roughly 85 percent of drivers normally drive on such roads.
“This method, which in effect lets drivers make the rules, does not account for the vulnerability of road users outside of vehicles,” the IIHS noted.
Which cities are designing pedestrian-friendly streets?
While lower speed limits have resulted in fewer pedestrian crashes, not every community has the power to change speed limits. Specifically, only 19 states (including Indiana) have the power to do so. In the nation’s other 31 states, local governments are prohibited from changing the speed limit on roads within their communities. Such decisions are made at the state and federal levels.
Some of the communities that have made the move to lower speed limits on many city streets include:
- Seattle, which lowered the speed limits on many streets from 25 to 20 mph.
- Boston, which lowered the speed limits on many streets from 30 to 25 mph.
- Portland, Oregon, which lowered speed limits to 20 mph on many streets.
How bad are pedestrian accidents nationwide?
The numbers are clear – pedestrian accidents continue to be a serious problem nationwide. Nearly one out of five motor vehicle fatalities nationwide are pedestrian fatalities, according to IIHS. And since 2009, pedestrian deaths have increased by 78 percent to 7,318 pedestrian deaths in 2023, according to IIHS and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
How many pedestrian accidents occur in Indiana?
Like the rest of the country, pedestrian accidents and the fatalities caused by them continue to be a major reason why people die in Indiana each year. In 2023, there were 96 pedestrian deaths in Indiana, according to the most recent statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
And in many other years, those numbers are even higher. For instance, in 2018 and in 2022, there were 114 pedestrian deaths in Indiana, according to NHTSA crash data.
The data is even more alarming when you compare the number of pedestrian deaths in 2023 versus a decade earlier. In 2014, there were 78 pedestrian fatalities statewide. That’s an increase of 23 percent in the number of Indiana pedestrian deaths between 2014 and 2023.
How an Indiana pedestrian accident attorney can help you
Don’t simply assume that you will receive the compensation you deserve if you were injured or a loved one died in a pedestrian accident in Indiana. Often, insurance companies do everything possible to reduce or deny such claims.
This is why it’s so important to have an experienced Indiana pedestrian accident lawyer on your side, who will vigorously advocate for your rights. At Glaser & Ebbs, Attorneys At Law, our dedicated legal team is here to help you navigate the process and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Our case results speak for themselves. In case after case, we consistently obtain sizable settlements and verdicts for injury victims and their families.
Get the Indiana law firm with 100 years of trial experience. Get Glaser & Ebbs. Contact us and schedule a free consultation with a pedestrian accident attorney who puts your best interests first. We have six offices conveniently located throughout Indiana, including offices in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.
“Glaser & Ebbs is an upstanding place. They're not only professional in every sense of the word, but treat you like Family. Everyone I've met with treats you with kindness and respect.” – Debra H., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐