Pedestrians are rather vulnerable in traffic. They don’t have anything to protect them from the force of impact when the crash occurs. They are at risk of severe injury or even death if a motor vehicle strikes them.
Pedestrian crashes may occur as people cross the street at busy intersections. Those walking or jogging for exercise along rural roads can end up struck by vehicles, as can people passing through parking lots. A variety of details influence the severity of a pedestrian crash. The type of vehicle, the age of the individual and even the location of the collision can affect the outcome for the pedestrian.
While many of the worst crashes occur in urban settings, rural roads can also be dangerous, in part because traffic speeds tend to be higher in those locations. In fact, the speed of the vehicle is one of the most important factors in a pedestrian crash scenario. Higher speeds tend to correlate with drastically increased risk for pedestrians.
As speeds increase, so typically, does injury severity
Faster vehicles may not be able to promptly come to a stop when they cross paths with pedestrians. As such, pedestrians are at risk of not just getting knocked down but possibly run over by the vehicle. Additionally, the force when the vehicle makes contact with the person is much higher, increasing the severity of the injuries that they sustain.
At 23 miles per hour (mph), a pedestrian crash has a 25% chance of causing severe injury and a 10% chance of causing death. Those risk levels increase to 50% for injury and 25% for death at speeds of 31 and 32 mph, respectively.
At 39 mph, pedestrians have a 75% chance of serious injury. That increases to 90% at 46 mph. Fatality risk reaches 50% at 42 mph and 75% at 50 mph. At 58 mph, the pedestrian has a 90% chance of dying. Even at lower speeds, people can sustain life-altering injuries in pedestrian collisions. They can develop traumatic brain injuries or major fractures that affect their health and quality of life.
Pursuing compensation after a pedestrian collision can be a challenging process. People dealing with serious injuries or the grief of losing a loved one may need support as they evaluate their options for financial compensation.