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Pedestrian Fatalities Spur Call for Maryland Counties to Implement Safety Initiatives

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq.

In 2006, 96 pedestrians died in traffic accidents on Maryland?s roads. There are four areas where 70% of the fatalities occurred: Montgomery County, Baltimore County, Prince George?s County, and Baltimore City.

Maryland law mandates that drivers yield to pedestrians. However, this doesn?t always happen, and many pedestrians are injured or killed in car accident, motorcycle crashes, or truck collisions as a result. Out of the four problem areas highlighted, only Montgomery County has a plan to combat the problem of pedestrian accidents.

In Baltimore City, there were 16 pedestrian fatalities in 2006. 14 deaths took place in Baltimore County. 18 pedestrian fatalities occurred in Montgomery County, with 16 deaths occurring so far this year.

Installing new traffic signs, pedestrian traffic signs, and pedestrian countdowns, and adding education initiatives are some of the ways that pedestrian injuries can be reduced.

The high number of pedestrian deaths in Montgomery County inspired an initiative there that will include better pedestrian signals, the construction of several miles of sidewalks, and targeting careless drivers and jaywalkers.

Ways to Implement Pedestrian Safety in Your Area:

? Ask your delegate to create better crosswalk laws
? Teach children to cross roads safely
? Organize a pedestrian safety campaign

Although there are safety measures that all of us can take to avoid becoming injured in a pedestrian accident, there will be times when a negligent car driver, motorcyclist, or truck driver causes an accident that injures or kills a pedestrian. Traffic and pedestrian signs may malfunction or a motor vehicle may be unable to stop in time because of defective breaks.

If you are injured in a pedestrian accident anywhere in Maryland or Washington D.C., you should speak with a pedestrian accident lawyer right away.

Pedestrian deaths spur new initiatives in some counties, Gazette.net, December 20, 2007

Related Web Resource:

Maryland Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Pedestrians, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on December 23, 2007 (boomark / email).