Los Angeles is an exciting city. What makes the city so unique is its appeal to drivers. Since the city’s inception, the city was designed with the driver’s needs in mind. There are very few areas in Los Angeles that encourage walking for citizens. This means pedestrians who want to walk around the city do so at their own risk. As bizarre as it is to say, there are many reasons why walking in Los Angeles would be dangerous. Our Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney explains why in today’s blog.
Los Angeles contains some of the deadliest intersections. According to the Neighborhood Data for Social Change, more than 14,230 pedestrians were injured in car accidents between 2012 and 2016. Although there are many intersections around the city, the speed limit and distracted driving contribute to the rise of pedestrian accidents in the city.
Part of the reason pedestrians are at risk of being struck by a vehicle in Los Angeles is the lack of traffic signals around crosswalks. While pedestrians should wait until the appropriate signals instruct them to cross, many crosswalks do not have the necessary signals to regulate traffic. To make matters worse, the speed limit and the need to beat a red light encourage drivers to engage in reckless behaviors. Under these conditions, pedestrians decide to cross an intersection at their own risk.
In addition to increasing intersections, pedestrians have to fight against cracked and uneven sidewalks. Because Los Angeles is a city that enhances transportation for drivers, the needs of pedestrians are constantly placed on the back burner. This means that the proper agencies fail to maintain the sidewalks and remove hazards like cracked pavement and damage from tree roots. Pedestrians who come across these hazards risk tripping and falling on the pavement, leading to severe injuries like brain injuries and broken bones.
Traffic collision experts have revealed that most pedestrian accidents in Los Angeles begin around 6 in the morning. The time slot between 8 p.m. and midnight accounts for one-third of pedestrian accidents. Even though Los Angeles is known for its smog, when the skies are clear, the majority of pedestrian accidents happen.
Pedestrian accidents are also more likely to occur on streets that possess streetlights than on streets without lights. Areas congested with people are also more prone to an increase in pedestrian accidents. The more crowded a location, the less visible vulnerable groups like children become around the activity.
If you or a loved one has been injured on a Los Angeles road, you deserve to have a Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney in your corner who truly cares about your recovery and future. The pedestrian accident attorneys at The Law Offices of Howard Craig Kornberg are here to help. Call our office at 310-997-0904, or submit our contact form for a free initial consultation.