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[/profileleft]San Diego is a walking city. The weather is almost always amenable to this form of exercise. The landscape is beautiful and the area is usually filled with travelers who want to take it all in. San Diego is also a city that, like most other places in Southern California, is home to a high volume of vehicle traffic. Unfortunately, combining these two variables often leads to a high risk of accidents.
As we’ve previously discussed, San Diego is relatively safe for pedestrians. However, there are still certain locations where fatal San Diego pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur than others. A group recently released data regarding these pedestrian accidents in San Diego.
Anyone who has been injured in one of these accidents should contact a San Diego pedestrian accident attorney as soon as possible.
About the “Fatal 15” Report
Circulate San Diego formulated the list of 15 intersections in San Diego County where fatal pedestrian accidents are most likely to occur. Circulate San Diego is an organization that works to promote public and active forms of transportation along with sustainable growth in cities. The group has also undertaken an initiative known as Vision Zero, which is a program with a goal of zero traffic deaths in San Diego County.
Part of that effort involves the publishing of the “Fatal 15” intersections. According to Circulate San Diego, more than 200 people have died in crashes at these intersections over the past 15 years. In addition to publishing the list of these intersections, the group has also published warning signs at each of these 15 locations. They are also asking the City of San Diego to invest in the following improvements at these intersections:
- Paint broad stripes inside of crosswalks to increase visibility for motorists.
- Maintain and repair crossing signals if necessary to make sure that they beep.
- Improve the pedestrian signals so that they include an audio countdown instead of just a visual blinking light.
Circulate San Diego estimates that these improvements would cost approximately $200,000, according to an article published by NBC 7 San Diego.
The Locations of the “Fatal 15”
Circulate San Diego analyzed the data regarding fatal pedestrian accidents that have occurred across the county since 2001 and pinpointed where each of these crashes occurred.
Based on that data, the following 15 intersections are the most dangerous in the county because of the number of fatalities that have occurred at these locations during this most recent 15-year period:
- University Avenue and Marlborough Street in City Heights
- University Avenue and 52nd Street in City Heights
- Mission Boulevard and Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach
- University Avenue and Park Boulevard in Hillcrest
- University Avenue and Menlo Avenue in City Heights
- 6th Avenue and Broadway in the Downtown area
- El Cajon Boulevard and 36th Street in North Park
- Paradise Valley Road and Deep Dell Road in South Bay Terraces
- University Avenue and Fairmount Avenue in City Heights
- 5th Avenue and B Street, Downtown
- 4th Avenue and B Street, Downtown
- Euclid Avenue and Naranja Street in Encanto
- Palm Avenue and 16th Street in Nestor/ Egger Highlands
- Coronado Avenue and Thermal Avenue in Nestor/ Egger Highlands
- 5th Avenue and Broadway, Downtown
Several intersections on University Avenue made the list, as did several intersections downtown.
San Diego County Pedestrian Accident Statistics
San Diego pedestrian accidents occur somewhere in the county several times per day on average. In 2015 alone, pedestrians were involved in 1,140 traffic accidents of some sort. That equates to more than three every day or one every eight hours. In addition, these accidents resulted in 1,255 fatalities and/or injuries. It should be noted, though, that not all San Diego pedestrian accidents were caused by motorists. Nearly 40 percent of these crashes were recorded as having been caused by some type of pedestrian violation.
That said, that still leaves nearly 700 San Diego pedestrian accidents that were either caused by the motorist involved or some unknown factor. It should also be noted that unlike other areas of the country, the majority of the people who were injured in these crashes in 2015 were younger than 45 years old. Below is a breakdown of the number of people who were hurt in these crashes in descending order of age group:
- 25 – 44
- 45 – 64
- 20 – 24
- 14 or younger
- 65 or older
- 15 – 19
Unfortunately, more than 200 San Diego pedestrian accidents in 2015 were classified as hit-and-run crashes. Specifically, 102 of them were ultimately classified as felonies and 101 as misdemeanors. Finally, more than 15 percent of these accidents involved alcohol.
Ideas for Preventing Fatal San Diego Pedestrian Accidents
The ideas that Circulate San Diego presented for bringing down the number of fatal San Diego pedestrian accidents appear worthy of consideration. In addition to those ideas, however, walkers can also employ some strategies that will help minimize their risks on an individual level. Some examples of those ideas, as published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, include:
- Cross the street at a designated crosswalk whenever possible.
- Make yourself as visible as possible with reflective clothing or a flashlight.
- Always walk on the sidewalk.
- If a sidewalk is not available, walk on the shoulder of the road and face traffic.
- Avoid distractions including cell phones. Distracted walking is as dangerous as distracted driving.
Many of the ideas that exist with regards to safe walking are similar to the lessons we learned as children. Simply reminding ourselves of these lessons could make the difference between walking around safely or being involved in a dangerous accident.
How a San Diego Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
Obviously, a pedestrian faces a distinct disadvantage when he or she encounters a moving vehicle. That’s why more than 94 percent of the people injured in San Diego pedestrian accidents in 2015 were those who were traveling on foot. Less than five percent of the people injured were either the drivers or passengers of vehicles.
People who are injured in this manner by negligent or reckless drivers face a difficult situation for many reasons. One way to make the aftermath of a crash at least somewhat easier is for those who have been harmed to contact a San Diego pedestrian accident lawyer at Gomez Trial Attorneys to schedule a free initial consultation.
