Texas a dangerous state for pedestrian accidents

Pedestrian accidents can occur anywhere, and they do, but there are certain places where they occur with greater frequency, like Texas.

A recent report by the nonprofit National Complete streets Coalition found that the state of Texas ranked 10^th on a list of the most dangerous states for pedestrians. According to the report, 4,200 pedestrians died in Texas between 2003 and 2012, which amounted to about 10 percent of pedestrian deaths nationwide over that period of time.
Interestingly, many of the states with high pedestrian accident rates are southern states, which feature wide roadways that are not as pedestrian friendly. This is especially the case in Florida, which came in on top in terms of pedestrian accidents. In Texas, Houston is a particularly dangerous area, and came in as the seventh most dangerous city in the nation for pedestrians.

One of the unfortunate realities of pedestrian accidents is that they do not get the public attention they deserve. So far this year, there have been 164 pedestrian deaths. From the sounds of it, the Texas Department of Transportation is looking to slow the rate, but it will not come without a lot of work.

Pedestrians who are injured in a motor vehicle crash deserve to be compensated for their injuries and losses and the drivers that harm them need to be held accountable for their negligence. It is true that pedestrians can contribute to their own harm, whether through distraction, failure to follow traffic signals, or some other negligence. That being said, drivers present the risk of great harm to those travelling on foot and need to be held accountable when their poor judgments cause a pedestrian suffering and loss.

Source: KETK, “Texas gets poor marks on pedestrian safety,” May 20, 2014.