Pedestrian Accidents

December 29, 2008

Car Crashes and Fall Accidents are Leading Causes of Accidental Deaths and Injuries to Minors in the US, Says CDC

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says auto accidents and fall accidents are the leading causes of accidental teen and child injuries and deaths in this country.

Facts included in the CDC’s report:

• 9.2 million teenagers and children a year are treated in US emergency rooms for accidental injuries.
• 2.8 million teens and young kids are injured in fall accidents annually.
• Over 50% of the nonfatal injuries involving kids younger than 1 occurred during fall accidents.
• About 8,000 minors are killed each year in traffic accidents as pedestrians, vehicle occupants, and pedalcyclists.
• 12,175 people under age 20 die in the US every year because of accidental injuries.
• Approximately 20 kids die every day because of an injury that could have been prevented.
• Some 20 million kids and young adults sustain injuries each year that limit their activity and require medical care.

Leading causes of injury deaths, according to age group:

• Infants – suffocation
• Ages 1 to 4 – drowning
• Ages 5 to 19 – traffic crashes
In addition to fall accidents, other leading causes of nonfatal injuries to kids include:

• Animal bites
• Insect bites
• Getting hit by or falling against an object
Children in the 1 – 4 age group were most likely to suffer nonfatal injuries in fall accidents or due to accidental poisoning. According to CDC Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention Director Grant Baldwin, many of these injuries can be predicted and are preventable.

Many times, these injuries occur while a child or teen is engaged in everyday activities, such as riding in a car, walking to school, or swimming in the neigborhood pool. Such injuries are often caused by reckless motor vehicle drivers, careless property owners, negligent product manufacturers, careless dog owners, or other responsible parties.

Car Crashes, Falls Top List of Accidental Injuries for Kids, US News, December 10, 2008
Childhood Injury Report, CDC
Related Web Resources:

Children Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA (PDF)

World Health Organization

December 23, 2008

To Prevent Oregon DUI Accidents, OSP Steps Up Drunk Driver Patrols Over the Holiday Season

by Matthew D. Kaplan

As part of its push to keep motorists and pedestrians safe over the holiday season, the Oregon State Police is increasing its DUI enforcement efforts. Their actions are part of a 20-day national crackdown on drunk drivers and runs from December 13 though the New Year. State and local police will also be on high alert for Oregon DUI drivers beginning 6pm on Christmas Eve through Sunday at midnight.

Oregon Governor Kulongoski, who declared December “Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness” month, has reminded drivers that driving with a buzz is driving while impaired—a leading cause of motor vehicle fatalities in the state. Last year, 18 people died in Oregon drunk driving accidents over the holiday season.

Meantime, a recent national study confirms that the number of fatalities due to drunk drivers increases around Christmas and New Year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that from 2002 – 2006, alcohol was a factor in 4 out of 10 motor vehicle deaths that occurred during the last two weeks of December. Also, drivers 21 – 24 years of age are more likely to be involved in a deadly alcohol-related motor vehicle accident than other motorists.

The Oregon Department of Transportation Safety Division’s Impaired Driving Program Manager Gretchen McKenzie has a number of suggestions for how drivers can keep themselves and others safe this holiday season:

• Don’t drive if you’ve had anything to drink.
• Make sure that there is a designated driver.
• Don’t let anyone who has been drinking get behind the wheel of the car.
• Consider taxis, public transportation, or a car service as alternative modes of transportation.
• Make sure you and your passengers are wearing seat belts.
• Call 911 if you see a drunk driver on the road.

Of course, it is important that motorists drive sober throughout the year. Last year, the NHTSA says 12,998 people died in alcohol-impaired auto crashes in the US.

Anyone who drives under the influence of alcohol or drugs is breaking the law and may be charged for Oregon DUI crimes. Victims injured by a DUI driver may also have grounds to file an Oregon personal injury claim for damages.

Governor proclaims December “Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness” month, Oregon.gov, December 1, 2008
State police beef up drunk-driver patrols, The Register-Guard, December 23, 2008
Related Web Resources:

Alcohol Impaired Driving 2007 Traffic Safety Facts, NHTSA (PDF)

DUI Laws in Oregon, United States DUI Laws, DUI Driving Laws

November 17, 2008

97-Year-Old Oregon Pedestrian Dies After She is Hit by Car in a Milwaukie Parking Lot

by Matthew D. Kaplan

In Oregon, a 97-year-old pedestrian died on Saturday after she was struck by a car that was backing out of an apartment complex parking lot. Anne Hemming sustained head injuries and was pronounced dead shortly upon her arrival at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital.

The car’s driver, 79-year-old Milwaukie resident Stanley Keltz, has not been charged with any crime related to the Oregon pedestrian accident.

NHTSA Pedestrian Accidents
• There were 4,654 pedestrian deaths in 2007.
• 903 of these victims were elderly pedestrians, age 65 and older.
• 70,000 pedestrians suffered injuries in traffic accidents.
• 6,000 of the injury victims were seniors, age 65 and older.
• 60% of elderly pedestrian deaths took place at non-intersections.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
• Driver negligence
• Drunk driving
• Motor vehicle defect
• Pedestrian error
• Speeding
• Talking/texting on the cell phone while driving
• Failure to obey traffic signs
• Driver inattention
Elderly people may have a harder time than their younger adult counterparts recovering from a broken hip, a fractured bone, a traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, or another serious injury. Not only may senior pedestrians need more time to heal from their injuries and infections, but chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or heart disease, may create further complications.

Personal Injury or Wrongful Death
Even if Oregon police decide not to pursue criminal charges against the driver or another party responsible for causing a motor vehicle accident, the injured person or the family of a person killed in an auto crash may still be able to hold the responsible party liable in civil court.

Woman, 97, Dies After Being Hit By Car, KPTV.com, November 16, 2008
97-year-old Milwaukie woman hit, killed by car in parking lot, Oregon City News, November 16, 2008
Pedestrians Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA
Related Web Resources:
Older Population Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA
Focusing on the Senior Pedestrian, Federal Highway Administration