Nighttime presents heightened risks for pedestrians due to reduced visibility. In fact, statistics show that a significant proportion of pedestrian fatalities occur during the darker hours, even though there’s less foot and vehicle traffic at these times.
San Diego, dubbed with the nickname “America’s Finest City,” is known for its beautiful weather and countless attractions, drawing visitors and residents alike to the area. However, this popularity also means that San Diego’s streets are busy with activity, making pedestrian safety a significant concern.
As you navigate the streets of San Diego, whether you’re a tourist exploring the Gaslamp Quarter, a commuter heading to work, or a resident enjoying the local scene, it’s essential to understand your rights as a pedestrian.
At the beginning of 2023, jaywalking became legal under California’s new law, The Freedom to Walk Act. Under this new law, people can cross the street outside of a crosswalk without getting a ticket if they can do so safely. Police can still ticket those who cross the street outside of a crosswalk if they do so in a way that could cause an accident.
Pedestrians tend to sustain more severe injuries compared to drivers and other vehicle occupants because a pedestrian’s body is fully exposed to a direct impact in case of a collision (motorists and their occupants, meanwhile, are shielded from a direct impact by airbags and layers of metal and steel).
As we head into a long holiday weekend, please remember September is “California Pedestrian Safety Month” and begins a public awareness campaign aimed at reminding drivers and pedestrians to be aware of each other and share the road responsibly. The campaign in intended to draw attention to the 813 pedestrians killed in California in 2015 alone. This figure represents nearly 25% of all roadways deaths in the state, significantly up from 17% in 2005.
Not surprisingly, vehicle versus pedestrian accidents result in a greater number of injuries (81% versus 30% in vehicle versus vehicle accidents) and a greater likelihood of death (14% versus 0.6% in vehicle versus vehicle accidents). Pedestrians are 2.7 times more likely to be injured and approximately 23 times more likely to be killed.
“Dangerous by Design” is a Dec 2011 report by t4america.org, a group that lobbies for safer roads for pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, and motorists alike. The report lists the most dangerous cities in America for pedestrians. “From 2000 through 2009, more than 47,700 pedestrians were killed in the US, the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing roughly every month. On top of that, 688,000 pedestrians were injured, a number equivalent to a pedestrian being struck by a car or truck every 7 minutes.”
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