If you’re a pedestrian in California, you know you face significant risks when sharing the road with vehicles, whether walking in a crosswalk or across a city block.
Many people may assume that the advancements in new vehicle technology might reduce those risks, but that just isn’t the case.
The facts show that pedestrians continue to be in danger despite many new vehicles coming equipped with features designed to prevent pedestrian collisions. This is especially problematic for people without vehicles who partly or fully rely on walking as a means of getting to bus stops, work, school, grocery shopping, and other errands, because it lends itself not only to over-reliance on the technology, but also potentially reduces driver attention.
Study finds new technology fails to protect pedestrians
Among the latest safety features included in many new cars include those focused on preventing pedestrian accidents. Systems featuring lasers, cameras and more to detect pedestrians work in concert with systems designed to automatically stop a vehicle even if the human driver fails to do so. AAA conducted tests to evaluate the effectiveness of these features.
During night conditions, AAA deemed the pedestrian detection and automatic braking features completely ineffective. In daytime conditions, vehicles hit pedestrian test dummies in a minimum of 60% of test scenarios. Depending on the circumstances of a single test situation, vehicles hit pedestrian dummies in virtually every test.
For a person who is hit by a car with failed braking features, it can be challenging to determine who to hold responsible for the accident—the driver or the car company?
This is where an attorney is critical, because such a case may be more complicated than it appears.
California’s rising pedestrian deaths
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reported a particularly grim trend of increased fatal pedestrian accidents happening nationwide. According to the statistics, driver deaths were down while cyclists and pedestrians saw a spike. That’s especially frightening if you’re traveling through a city on foot more often.
California ranks at 16 on the list of dangerous cities for pedestrians, yet its increase in pedestrian deaths rose more than the entire national average. Chalk it up to a lack of safety measures statewide and driver inattention or recklessness, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. No technology that exists today can compensate for the danger of human error and poor city planning.
If you’re the victim of an accident with a motor vehicle while you were on foot, seek legal representation immediately. Your daily commute shouldn’t put your life at risk, and you deserve to be compensated for your injuries and trauma.