The Southern California city of Glendale launched its second annual bicyclist and pedestrian count to help initiate improvements to traffic safety, reports the Glendale News-Press. The accident prevention initiative involved over 90 volunteers who stood at street corners counting pedestrians and bicyclists during morning and afternoon commute hours on a Wednesday and a Saturday. A coordinator with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, who has dedicated time to working with city officials to put a Safe and Healthy Streets plan into action, stated that the goal of the program is to try and capture a typical day so that new safety measures can be properly implemented. He also stated it may be necessary “to raise the bar of expectations for motorists.”
The need for safety improvements and heightened motorist awareness for pedestrians is emphasized by two fatal accidents in Glendale, one that killed an 80-year-old male pedestrian on September 15 and another that killed a 49-year-old male pedestrian in January. In the California pedestrian accident that took place in January, the man was thrown 70 feet after being hit by an SUV and the driver fled the scene.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 4,378 pedestrians were killed and 69,000 were injured in motor vehicle accidents in 2008. For the same year, 716 pedalcyclists were killed and 52,000 were injured. Because pedestrians and bicyclists are not protected to the same degree as motorists or passengers in a motor vehicle, they are more susceptible to sustaining fatal head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other life-threatening injuries if involved in an accident.
A family that loses a loved one due to a negligent driver in a fatal pedestrian accident or bicycle crash copes with tremendous grief and faces a number of emotional and financial challenges. At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our Los Angeles wrongful death accident lawyers have the legal resources and experience to help you and your family hold negligent parties liable for your loss and associated damages. To find out more about how we can help, please call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation.
