Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
Yesterday, A 7-year-old child was hit by a motor vehicle after she ran onto the 2900 block of Stanton Road. According to police, the child is being treated for bruises and scrapes. This is the second child pedestrian-related accident on a D.C. street in the last few days.Just five days ago, 4-year-old girl was killed by a truck.
In 2005, According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA):
· 64, 000 pedestrians were injured.
· 16,000 of those injured were 14-years-of-age or younger.
· 4881 pedestrians were killed.
· Kids who were 14 years of age and younger made up 7 % (339) of these fatalities.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) explains why child pedestrians are at high risk for sustaining injuries on the road:
· In the United States, 4,641 pedestrians died from traffic-related injuries in 2004, and another 68,000sustained nonfatal injuries (NHTSA 2005).
· Nearly one-fifth of the traffic fatalities among children ages 5-9 years were sustained by pedestrians (NHTSA 2005).
Children are at increased risk for pedestrian injuries for several reasons:
· Their smaller size makes them difficult for drivers to see, especially if they are standing between parked cars on the side of the road.
· Young children are often unable to judge distances and vehicle speeds accurately, so they can easily misjudge whether it is safe to cross a street.
· Parents can overestimate their child’s ability to cross the street. Many elementary school-age children don’t understand traffic signals or how to anticipate a driver’s actions.
· Drivers and child pedestrians each assume (incorrectly) that the other will yield the right-of-way.
The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen handles pedestrian accidents and accidents involving minors. If you have a child who has been injured or killed in a pedestrian-related traffic accident, please contact Lebowitz and Mzhen for a free consultation.
Child, 7, Struck By Vehicle in Southeast, wtop.com, Oct 3, 2006
Traffic Safety Facts, 2005, NHTSA (PDF)
Child Pedestrian Safety, CDC.gov
Related Web Resources:
Pedestrian Safety Tips, Safekids.org