Preventing Pedestrian Car Accidents

Although most people associate car accidents with single-vehicle crashes or collisions between two separate cars, the reality is that an alarmingly high number of crashes actually involve pedestrians. This is especially true in Florida, where the balmy weather makes walking a common pastime for visitors and residents alike. While traffic laws, crosswalks, and safety signals have been put in place to help prevent this type of accident, these measures are often not enough to keep pedestrians safe.

The increasing rate at which these kinds of accidents occur demonstrates the need for technological advances, which could help drivers avoid colliding with pedestrians. Until these advances are adopted throughout the state, pedestrians are at risk, making it particularly important for those who are injured in car accidents to speak with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer who can help them seek compensation for their losses.

Accident Avoidance Systems

These days, it is not uncommon to see a vehicle that is equipped with at least some type of accident avoidance or notification system, such as lane departure alarms or automatic braking. Unfortunately, these types of systems are only designed to protect vehicle occupants and not cyclists or pedestrians. For instance, the Department of Transportation is moving forward with a project that focuses on connected vehicle technology, which would allow cars to communicate directly with each other via onboard computers and airwave bandwidths and so avoid potential collisions.

Vehicle manufacturers in Europe, however, have begun focusing on preventing accidents between motorists and pedestrians by equipping some of their vehicles with pedestrian accident avoidance systems, which can detect and brake for pedestrians who are within 20 yards of the car. Other automakers are attempting to integrate vehicle safety systems with roadside equipment like crosswalk signs. Some manufacturers have made great strides in designing a program that allows a vehicle’s system to recognize signals emitted by crosswalk signs, so that even when a vehicle’s systems cannot sense the presence of a pedestrian, the crosswalk signal would notify drivers of potential dangers in real time. Unfortunately, these systems could take years to make it onto the market and into local cities.

Advancements are also being pursued in the area of vehicle headlights, which are being made brighter and more effective. These types of changes are long overdue, as vehicle manufacturers have been barred by out-of-date regulations from installing headlights that provide better control over the direction of the light beams, which can reduce glare and help motorists avoid collisions with pedestrians. These kinds of advances could play a critical role in reducing the number of pedestrian-motorist collisions occurring in the state and across the country, as accidents between pedestrians and motorists are much more likely to occur at night than during the day.

Contact Our Office Today for Legal Assistance

Until vehicle manufacturers begin installing accident avoidance systems that could help prevent collisions with pedestrians, we can expect the number of pedestrian accidents to continue to rise. For help filing your own claim against the negligent driver who caused your own accident, please call one of the dedicated Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers at Boone & Davis 954-566-9919 today.

Resource:

washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/direct-communication-between-car-computers-may-reduce-accidents-by-up-to-80-percent/2014/02/03/b55e9330-8d1a-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html?utm_term=.047ae8a65c12