The Sacramento Bee reports a new pedestrian-involved accident every two days in the city of Sacramento. With so many people walking around in cars, trucks, and buses, it’s not surprising that some meet their fate on the pavement. The elderly are more likely to be involved in these accidents than any other age group.

AutoAccident.com reports that in 2021 there were 21 fatal pedestrian accidents in Sacramento:
https://www.autoaccident.com/sacramento-auto-accident-statistics.html

The most important thing to remember with pedestrian accidents is that pedestrians always have the right of way. If a pedestrian is on the right, and there’s no vehicle involved, then the driver can only think about how to avoid hitting them. If they hit a pedestrian, they will usually be held responsible for any injuries or even fatalities during their negligence.

Even if there’s no accident at that point, the driver will still be responsible if a traffic ticket is issued. The police can go after drivers recording their violations and not feeding in data or running red lights. Pedestrians are never safe behind the wheel either, so there will always be a danger when a driver runs for their life.

In this article, we’ll look at the most common causes of pedestrian accidents in Sacramento and how you could help prevent these accidents.

What Causes Pedestrian Accidents?

• One problem with pedestrians is that they aren’t always paying attention to their surroundings. Some of them are on a busy schedule and don’t always have time to look both ways before crossing a street.
• Some drivers are reckless, not knowing how quickly they can stop if a pedestrian is heading toward their vehicle.
• Another problem with pedestrians is that many take up too much space for the distance between them and the vehicle. It’s not uncommon for a pedestrian to dart into a busy roadway from an alleyway when there’s only enough room for one person to walk side by side.
• Another problem is that many drivers aren’t aware of how they are driving in a crosswalk. This could be because they think they can beat the light or another driver owes them a favor. Either way, they won’t be waiting anymore when people walk before them.
• Drivers can also make mistakes with pedestrian traffic signals like blinking lights and crossing guards. It’s not uncommon for drivers to pull into an intersection on a green light when a pedestrian is crossing it.
• It also happens when drivers ignore crossing guards. This is a big problem when children play in the street, and the crossing guard is trying to get a driver’s attention to keep them out of their way.
• Many pedestrians also make mistakes that could harm others when they become overly curious by walking into a busy street with traffic on it, and another pedestrian gets hit because they’re not paying attention.
• There are also times when a driver is driving through an intersection and hits a pedestrian by mistake because they weren’t looking at the light.
• Other drivers ignore how fast they’re going when there’s a pedestrian in their path. They may try to stop or swerve in time, but the results won’t always be so positive.
• At times, pedestrians will also cross a street before it’s safe to do so, causing an unsafe situation for drivers and pedestrians alike.

How Can We Prevent These First Rising Pedestrian Accidents?

• It’s vital that pedestrians and drivers pay attention to the different situations they find themselves in a while walking or driving. There are a lot of distractions and circumstances that can happen in a busy city like Sacramento, so it’s best to keep an eye out for signs of danger.
• Drivers should always be aware of the pedestrians walking near them, especially if they’re trying to walk across the street. They should also avoid pulling into intersections when pedestrians are near them. This can cause tremendous danger if these drivers get distracted by things like their phones or radios.
• Pedestrians also need to be aware of their surroundings to avoid being in the way of drivers. If a pedestrian is about to walk into an intersection when a car is coming, they should wait until the car has passed before they walk through. If this is impossible, walking in the opposite direction is better.
• It’s also important for pedestrians to make sure they’re coming up with a plan before walking through busy intersections. Sometimes people will have a destination in mind and decide to walk there, but they may not be prepared for cars that are quickly approaching. It’s best to come up with a safe route first so they can avoid accidents when there are paths where pedestrians don’t have the right of way in front of them.
• In many cases, drivers will be distracted by a phone or radio in their vehicle. These things can be dangerous since they cause the driver to focus on them instead of the road ahead. There are also times when some drivers aren’t paying attention to what’s happening because they’re too busy recording their violations.
• Many times, there are plenty of pedestrians on one side of the street and a car crossing on the other. Sometimes these drivers will only pay attention to an area with danger ahead. If they have time to notice this, then they should be wary of the crosswalk. They should keep their eyes on it until they’re past it
• Kids and people with disabilities should also be aware of how they’re crossing streets, so they don’t become a danger to other pedestrians. Not all drivers will generally look out for these people, so they must walk in front of cars when crossing a busy street.

Essentially, many different factors can cause accidents between pedestrians and drivers. Both groups need to be aware of their surroundings so they know what to do in an emergency. There are also times when both sides will be distracted by something that can put them in harm’s way.