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Odds of dying in a pedestrian accident are disproportionally high

If you get involved in a pedestrian accident, as the pedestrian, your odds of suffering from fatal injuries are higher than they are in other types of collisions.

One study noted that a mere 1.2 percent of all car accidents involve pedestrians. Rather than making up a corresponding 1.2 percent of all fatalities, though, pedestrians made up a staggering 5 percent.

While 5 percent sounds small, it’s about 4 times higher than the crash rate. You have to take that into account. The total may be small because there are far more accidents that involve cars, trucks and motorcycles, but the rate of death is higher than it would be in another type of crash.

In fact, the study went on to note that a pedestrian who got into an accident with a car was 13 times as likely to die as the average fatality rate when looking at all people who use the road.

The reasons for this high rate are pretty clear. A pedestrian is incredibly exposed. Drivers in cars, even when striking another car, still have the advantage of steel frames, crumple zones, air bags, seat belts and a whole host of other features designed to keep them alive. Pedestrians have nothing. They take the full impact and suffer the consequences. These can be drastic, even at low speeds. It’s just more abuse than the human body can withstand.

As such, it is very important for pedestrians to know their rights when they get seriously hurt, and for family members to understand their options when they lose a loved one.

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