Pedestrian Accidents

October 18, 2011

Taxi-Pedestrian Accident in South Boston Kills 51-Year-Old Woman

A 51-year-old woman was recently killed in a taxi-pedestrian accident in South Boston. Police officers are investigating the accident that happened at the intersection of Dorchester Street and Dorchester Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. The woman was transported to Boston Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead, according to the Boston Globe. According to local officers, the woman was hit by a Brookline-based taxi.

As we recently reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, many trips through Boston only require a short walk or bike ride. After a report was recently released revealing the state’s top 200 most dangerous intersections for pedestrian and bicycling accidents, some residents may think twice before making the trek this way. Some of the most influential factors of a pedestrian’s safety on our roadways are the habits of nearby drivers.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security reports that more than 20 percent of all traffic-related deaths were of pedestrians in 2008. Nearly 100 pedestrians were killed throughout the year. Nearly 250 additional pedestrians suffered serious injuries from traffic-related accidents during the same time.

The public safety office also says that many are quick to point the blame at drivers, but the truth isn’t that cut and dry. Far too many accidents have happened at non-intersection areas, where pedestrians should not be crossing. Residents are urged to learn the pedestrian laws of the roadway to help reduce their risks for one of these potentially fatal accidents. Another contributor to these fatal accidents is the design of roadways. Safer sidewalks and crossing areas can greatly reduce the risks of a fatal pedestrian accident.

To help promote safer walkways, WalkBoston and Sidewalk Sam previously teamed up to paint South Station’s sidewalks to raise awareness about the need for open and continuous public sidewalks on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The fight for safer sidewalks continues on today as constructors continuously make plans to alter the walkways.

“Keep the Greenway Walkable” was used to help to demonstrate just how popular this morning commute is for on-foot travelers. This path gets many commuters from the North Station to the South Station and back.

WalkBoston will continue to fight for the rights of pedestrian travelers. Walking and biking is a vital way for residents and visitors to get around the area. Unfortunately, these individuals are at a high risk for injury when walking along roadways in which designs were not created in their best interest. Many roadways were designed to accommodate fast-moving traffic instead of to benefit the on-foot traveler. Motorists are asked to keep an eye out for pedestrians, regardless of where you are in the city.

Everyone walks at some point in their every trip, even if it’s just to and from the car. Walking is excellent exercise and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Safe walking environments are vital for this to continue and motorist awareness is one of the first steps in achieving that goal.
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October 3, 2011

Pedestrian Accidents in Massachusetts: A Popular Topic of Discussion

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

As we recently reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, a newly released report pointed out the top 200 most dangerous intersections for bicycle, car and pedestrian accidents in Massachusetts. This report was released to help residents identify and avoid dangerous areas, and to urge state officials to take action to help make these intersections safer.

This wasn’t the only recently released report that identifies dangers to pedestrians in the state. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a report that focused on pedestrian accidents, highlighting the main causes and factors, and providing recommendations to fix the problem.

Our Boston pedestrian accident attorneys understand that traffic-related accidents are the number one cause of death for people in the U.S. According to Transportation for America, there were more than 700 pedestrians killed in Massachusetts from 2000 to 2009. These accidents cost the state more than $3 billion. Our state’s Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) is 24.9, which gives us a poor ranking of 42 out of the 50 states.

According to the Foundation, speed is the top contributor to the outcome of a pedestrian-car accident. The faster a vehicle is traveling when it strikes a pedestrian, the higher the risk is for that pedestrian to experience severe injury or death.

According to statistics from the report, a pedestrian faces a 10 percent chance of sustaining serious injury when hit by a vehicle that is traveling at 16 miles per hour. A pedestrian faces a 25 percent risk when a vehicle strikes at 23 mph, a 50 percent chance when a vehicle strikes at 31 mph, a 75 percent chance when a vehicle strikes at 39 mph and a 90 percent chance when a vehicle strikes at 46 mph.

The risk for death increases with the speed of the vehicle as well. A pedestrian faces a 10 percent risk of death when hit by a vehicle traveling at 23 mph during the time of impact, a 25 percent risk at 32 mph, a 50 percent risk at 42 mph, and a 75 percent risk at 50 mph.

These risks vary with the age of the pedestrian. A 30-year-old pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 35 miles per hour faces the same risks as a 70-yer-old pedestrian who is hit by a vehicle traveling 25 miles per hour.

To help decrease the risks of these accidents, AAA recommends the following:

-Federal, state and local officials should reduce the speed limits in areas with a large population of pedestrians.

-Transportation officials should consider putting up a physical barrier to separate vehicular traffic and pedestrians in areas where a reduced speed limit wouldn’t benefit traffic flow.

-Vehicle creators should look into creating better pedestrian-detection systems to identify pedestrians within a dangerous distance from a vehicle and to warn the driver or to stop the vehicle automatically.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 50 pedestrian fatalities in the state of Massachusetts in 2009.
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September 15, 2011

Young Drivers Prohibited from Cell Phone Use to Reduce Risks of Fatal Car Accidents in Massachusetts

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The driving privileges of an 18-year-old have been revoked while she awaits the trial for an accident in which officials allege that her vehicle struck a pedestrian back in August. The court believes that the restriction is justifiable considering she is such an inexperienced driver.

The young driver is currently facing a charge of grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle with serious bodily injury resulting, according to WSTP. The pedestrian was left in critical condition and is currently suffering from severe bone and brain injuries.

Pedestrians are extremely vulnerable in the event of a car accident in Massachusetts. Motorists are likely to be at fault during these accidents as many are the result of distracted-driving habits. Motorists need to remain aware and cautious behind the wheel, especially in areas like the Greater Boston area that have a large population of on-foot travelers.

Our Boston pedestrian accident attorneys understand that the phone records of the young driver reveal the 18-year-old was having a text message conversation with a friend between the time she left her house in her vehicle and the time she called emergency responders to report the accident. Although the young driver told authorities that she was in fact looking at the roadway and the time of the accident, she also admitted to engaging in a text message conversation simultaneously. A number of recent studies that we’ve reported about on our blog illustrate the dangers and the increased risks that driver faces for an accident when engaging in distracting behavior behind the wheel.

Court records reveal that the driver had only received her driver’s license about six months prior to the accident. The court has ordered her to stay away from the wheel as a condition of her release after her arraignment.

Most recently, the young driver requested permission for restricted driving privileges so that she could get herself to and from work each day and so that she may provide transportation for her disabled mother and younger brother. Her request was denied.

The car-pedestrian accident took place in Vermont, which has a law prohibiting drivers from texting behind the wheel.

The young driver says that she feels terrible about the injuries she has inflicted upon the victim. She says, in her defense, that the accident occurred during the evening hours and the pedestrian was wearing dark-colored clothing. She also states that this was in fact an accident and not a crime.

Current Massachusetts law says that drivers that are under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Public transit drivers and school bus drivers have also been banned from using a cell phone while driving or they could face a fine of $500.

All drivers, regardless of age, are prohibited from texting while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers who are busted sending messages of surfing the internet while driving will can a fine of $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second offense.
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September 2, 2011

“Shared Space” Aims to Unite Motorists and Pedestrians on Boston Roadways

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A 47-year-old East Boston man recently entered a not guilty plea to leaving the scene of an accident and motor-vehicle homicide at the Chelsea District Court after being accused of being involved in a hit-and-run car-pedestrian accident in Revere, according to the Chron. Prosecutors say that the man made an attempt to fix the damage on his SUV that was caused by the accident. He is being accused of striking and killing a 22-year-old pedestrian just before 6:00 a.m. The young woman was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Prosecutors believe that the man attempted to make repairs on his vehicle to cover up the damage and then attempted to wash it down with bleach to hide and further evidence. The man is currently being held on a $25,000 bail.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that pedestrians are extremely vulnerable to car-pedestrian accidents near our busy roadways. To help reduce the risks of such serious accidents, the Institute for Human Centered Design, recently discussed plans of Shared Space, which is a street design concept to help protect pedestrians traveling along our roadways. Shared Space is already a popular part of European roads, according to the Boston Globe.

This theory aims to reduce the number of curbs in our area. Researchers of the program believe that curbs are the enemy on our roadways as they serve as a barrier that determines which part of the roadway belongs to the vehicles and which parts belong to the pedestrians. Shared Space also frowns upon the use of traffic lights, road markings and street signs. Under the Shared program, streets are stripped down and all physical and psychological barriers are eliminated. Without these traffic regulating devices, motorists and pedestrians are forced to share the area efficiently and safely. Supporters believe that the roads can actually be safer by making them more dangerous and requiring everyone to think a little bit more.

“So what have we done here?” asks director of urban and transit projects at the Institute for Human Centered Design, Christopher Hart. “We’ve extended that curb 10 feet out. We’re forcing drivers to pay attention, and we’re forcing them to slow down even just a little bit because their field of vision has changed.”

For years now, the design of the street system in our area has kept their focus on efficient and speedy movement of vehicle traffic. Luckily, Boston and other large metro areas in the county are leaning towards the creation of safer streets for everyone. A number of organizations, transportation departments and advocates are campaigning the “human-centered design,” oftentimes referred to as “complete streets” or “context-sensitive design.”

“We live in an environment where everybody is in a rush,” says Thomas Tinlin, the city’s transportation commissioner. “Our job is to look at it as, if everybody plays by the rules, how best to move everybody through the system.”

There’s an area inside City Hall that is called the Traffic Management Center in which live video is surveyed of various busy intersections. A technician is hired to monitor these areas and make appropriate stop-light adjustments to ensure that the traffic flow’s steady. Whereas the focus of this technician has always been to get our Boston motorists traveling quickly and efficiently, a number of pedestrian advocates recognize the increase in on-foot traffic and are pushing to shift the focus from vehicles to pedestrians.
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July 17, 2011

Speedy Driver Arrested After Sending 6-Year-Old into a Coma after Mattapan Car Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

An arrest has finally been made in an April hit-and-run car accident in Mattapan that put a 6-year-old-boy in a coma, according to My Fox Boston. A 19-year-old woman was arraigned earlier this month in Dorchester District Court. Her bail was set at $40,000.

Witnesses to the accident say that the child, and a few of his buddies, looked both ways before crossing over Delhi Street, but a speeding vehicle slammed right into the boy and just kept going. The boy was taken to Boston Medical Center.

He stayed there for two weeks, including four days spent in a medically-induced coma. Currently, the boy is recovering, but authorities say that his long-term prognosis is unclear.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists face serious risks on our Massachusetts roadways. Without cautious driving habits from motorists around the state, pedestrians will continue to be overlooked. The woman arrested in this incident was indeed speeding, which only increased her chances of being involved in an accident as it reduced her reaction time tremendously.

A press release issued by Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley states that the woman struck the little boy while she was out free on bail from another incident that happened back in March.

The female driver left the scene of the accident in March that resulted in damage to property. She faces two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and single counts of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failing to stop for police, operating with a suspended license and resisting arrest for that incident.

She is now facing charges in connection with the April accident as well, with negligent operation of a motor vehicle and violating the state’s witness intimidation law.

Police have plenty of evidence in the case. They currently possess multiple witness statements, video surveillance footage and other evidence gathered during the course of the investigation. Boston Police were also able to obtain a warrant for the woman’s arrest on June 23. She eluded investigators until now.

“These actions are outrageous and the crimes are egregious,” Conley said. “This woman should not be on the road, period. It’s by God’s grace that this child survived. The next victim might not be so lucky.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the economic cost to society that these accidents cause is more than $40 billion each year. Speeding was a reported contributor to more than 30 percent of fatal traffic accidents in 2009. Nearly 11,000 people were lost in these accidents.

During that year, nearly 9,000 speeding-related accident fatalities happened on non-Interstate highways. Only 12 percent of these accidents happened on Interstate highways.

Massachusetts witnessed nearly 100 speeding-related car accident fatalities in 2009 alone. A number of these accidents could have been prevented had motorists been abiding by posted speed limits. Speeding limits a driver’s reaction time and puts them and others on our roadways at an increased risk for injury or death.
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June 6, 2011

Recent Article Highlights Important of Bicycle Maintenance to Reduce Bicycle Accidents in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent article on Boston.com brings up some excellent points about proper bicycle maintenance. With summer here, many residents will be dusting off their bikes and hitting the town both on foot and on two wheels. Riders are not only urged to be cautious of motor-vehicle traffic during their adventures through the city, but to also to be cautious about the condition of your bicycle. A properly kept bicycle can mean the difference between safe travels and a Boston bicycling accident.

In the Boston.com article, the author noticed a bicycle on his walk home that had been locked to a fence with the seat removed for months. Many bicyclists remove their seat to avoid bike theft. As the seasons changed, the bike remained locked to that fence. It had grown rusty and had almost seemed abandoned.

Our Boston bicycle accident attorneys urge all of our two-wheeled travelers to take good care of your bikes, in every season. Be sure that your tires always have enough air, that it’s equipped with proper lights and reflectors, that your chain is well oiled and that the brakes work properly. Many accidents can be caused by malfunctioning equipment. Venturing out on a bike that’s not taken care of can result in an increased risk for accidents in our area.

Once the snow cleared and the sun shined through, the bike’s owner appeared. The author spotted her one day bent over her bicycle with a can of WD-40 in her hand.

Tips to help you, and other fellow riders, to enjoy the bike riding season safely:

-If you’ve neglected your bicycle all winter long, be sure to check it out completely before breaking it out this spring or summer. Check to see if the tires look dry or cracked. Check your brakes. If you are not comfortable with these types of repairs, take your bicycle to a local repair shop for some help.

-Learn how to change a flat tire. Make sure each tire is fully inflated and free of debris. Inevitably you will eventually experience a flat tire. Learn how to change it yourself to be better prepared or to even help someone else out.

-Be considerate. If you see a bicyclist pulled over on the ride of the road, ask if they need any help. Bicyclers need to help and protect one another.

-Always wear your helmet. Statistics show that it can save your life. Your risk of serious of fatal injury greatly increases if you’re not wearing a helmet during the time of an accident.

-Learn the rules of the road. Look both ways, obey traffic lights, ride with the flow of traffic and wear light or bright colored clothing.

-Never pass another bicyclist on the right. This is especially important if they’re stopped at a red light. When you do pass someone, call out: “On your left” to let them know your whereabouts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 600 bicyclists died in 2009 because of accidents involving a motor vehicle. These fatalities accounted for 2 percent of all traffic deaths during the entire year.

Most of these bicycling deaths from 2009 happened in urban areas at non-intersection. Most of them also occurred during the daytime hours, between 4:00 a.m. an 8:00 p.m.
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May 6, 2011

Massachusetts Anticipates Hubway Hoping Easing Traffic and Reduce Risks of Bicycle Accidents

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Massachusetts residents and visitors will soon be able to take quick trips in Boston as they’ll be able to rent bicycles from dozens of sidewalk kiosks as early as July of this year. Mayor Thomas M. Menino is scheduled to sign a $6 million contract with a company called Alta Bicycle Share. The company is also behind a program in the Washington area that currently boasts more than 1,000 cherry-red bicycles at nearly 115 stations.

Our Boston bicycle accident lawyers understand that this $6 million dollar contract will put roughly 600 bikes and more than 61 stations in our communities before July. This increased pedestrian traffic may increase the risks of accidents on our roadways and we ask that everyone practice safe traveling on our roadways.

The new system, which officials will be referring to as the Hubway, will be starting off the program with roughly 60 bicycles. They envision the program to grow and to accommodate as many as 5,000 bikes in the future, operating from Brookline to Sommerville, according to Boston.com. With an increased number of bikes on Massachusetts roadways, drivers are encouraged to increase their awareness of bicyclists and pedestrians to help keep our roadways safe and reduce risks of potentially fatal Boston bicycle accidents.

Boston officials said the system will open in July with 600 bicycles and 61 stations in the city, though they envision growing in a few years to as many as 5,000 bikes at more than 300 kiosks, from Brookline to Somerville.

“The vision here is that it’s a seamless system,” said Eric Bourassa, transportation manager for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “I could pick up a bike in Cambridge and I could bike across the river and drop it off in Boston, and I wouldn’t tell the difference that I have a Cambridge bike vs. a Boston bike or anything like that,”

The program will not be funded by local tax dollars. Instead, the city is using grants and donations to cover the start-up costs. Corporate sponsorships and revenue from riders is planned to cover annual operating expenses after initial start-up.

Riders will need to first sign up for memberships, which will include a liability waiver and a pledge to wear a helmet, on kiosk touch screens similar to those of the MBTA. Memberships will range from about $5 a day to $85 a year. Trips less than 30 minutes will be of no charge and users will see incremental charges for longer rides.
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April 22, 2011

Crossing the street can be a high risk for a pedestrian accident in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently released a report on how automobile technology is reducing pedestrian crash fatalities.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers applaud this new technology but cautions that drivers’ attentiveness is the best method for decreasing Boston pedestrian accidents.

The IIHS study identified the most likely kinds of pedestrian accident situations. They discovered that a vehicle moving straight at them as pedestrians cross the street is the most common. IIHS feels that using forward collision warning systems with pedestrian detection can prevent these types of accidents. This form of warning system is available on several vehicles including the Volvo S60 sedan. Volvo feels strongly that this kind of technology, if put in all vehicles, could potentially reduce pedestrian deaths by as much as 24 percent. Other technologies exist that could minimize the risk of injuries to pedestrians even further.

It appears European automakers are making design changes to limit injuries to pedestrians in crashes. Subaru has a pedestrian detection system which recognizes bicyclists and pedestrians. Their technology has the ability, if the driver doesn’t react to the warning, to hit the brakes automatically. Audi is currently developing a similar system as Subaru, BMW and Mercedes have pedestrian detection systems that also include night vision technology for detecting pedestrians.

It is somewhat disturbing that advances in pedestrian safety are occurring overseas but not in this country. The study stated the U.S. Department of Transportation did research for some 20+ years starting in the 1970’s to increase pedestrian safety but their ideas never came to fruition.

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 4,092 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes and another 59,000 were injured. Pedestrians accounted for 12 percent of all traffic fatalities. Massachusetts reported a total of 334 traffic fatalities, 48 were pedestrians in 2009.

The NHTSA offers these safety reminders:

-Utilize sidewalks whenever possible. If you walk in the road always face traffic.

-Make yourself visible, wear bright colors and carry a flashlight.

-Use crosswalks and be cautious if you don’t have a clear view of the street.

-In most circumstances pedestrians have the right-of-way when crossing the streets. Failure to yield the right-of-way happens often at intersections, be careful.
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March 28, 2011

Mandatory Backup Cameras Could Decrease Fatal Boston Car Accidents

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Approximately 292 fatalities and nearly 18,000 injures occur as a result of back-over crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Of the 292 fatalities, 228 of them were caused by vehicles weight less than 10,000 pounds.

According to DriveOn, the NHTSA is publishing a new rule that would require backup cameras on most cars and trucks. The feds have put off the publishing of this rule for 10 months now.

Boston personal injury lawyers urge you to practice cautious driving with or without a rear-view camera in your vehicle. We stress the importance of being aware of your surroundings while sitting behind the wheel.

Gentex, one backup camera supplier, said it could take a navigation system as long as 5 to 10 seconds “to display the rear view image depending on weather conditions,” said industry analyst Himanshu Patel at JP Morgan. These delay times may not be effective in preventing Boston parking lot accidents.

Backup cameras are available to drivers in numerous models, styles, sizes and prices. They’re available as center console television screens, tiny rearview mirror images or are even available in your sideview mirrors, They’re also available with night vision features. On many new cars they’re now coming as a standard feature.

“The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers — a lobbying group that represents the Detroit Three and other big players like Toyota, Mazda and Volkswagen — has opposed the regulation because it’s too costly,” says Kicking Tires. “If the rule is finalized, the backup cameras would cost the industry $1.9 billion to $2.7 billion annually, according to NHTSA.”

Backup cameras allow drivers to see beyond their line of site — helping save lives. The government finds their function to be so critical, they are going to continue to push to make them standard on all vehicles.
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January 26, 2011

Texting tumbler illustrates risk of Massachusetts pedestrian accidents

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Just a week after a Pennsylvania woman’s texting-induced stumble into a mall fountain hit 3 million views on YouTube, (and an 18-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed while walking along Route 195 in Marion), My Fox Boston reports that one New York lawmaker is aiming to make texting-while-walking a citable offense worthy of $100 fine in his Brooklyn district.

Sen. Carl Kruger believes the ubiquitous presence and use of wireless electronics is directly linked to the increase of pedestrian accidents and fatalities in his community. And he isn’t the only one concerned.

In their recently released national pedestrian fatality report, the Governors Highway Safety Association found that for the first time in four years the drop rate in pedestrian fatalities appears to be stalling. In contrast, the number of overall traffic fatalities fell 8 percent. Since 2005, the number of pedestrians struck and killed in car accidents has fallen, on average, by 200 victims a year.
In 2005, 4,892 pedestrians were struck and killed along U.S. roads. In 2009, there were 4,091 pedestrian fatalities – a difference in 801 lives.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers frequently report the risks of pedestrian accident caused by distracted driving. Unfortunately, distracted pedestrians also contribute to their own demise.

In Massachusetts alone 48 pedestrians were killed in 2009. During the first six months of the year, 14 people died. During the first six months of 2010, 25 Massachusetts pedestrians died from injuries sustained in a car accident.

In 2008, the City of Cambridge was named “America’s most walkable city” by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Prevention Magazine. The community boasts sidewalks on “virtually every street” and a 30 m.p.h. speed limit maximum on city streets. Cambridge officials estimate about a quarter of community residents walk to work.

City officials have implemented a pedestrian safety awareness initiative that includes five key safety practices, as follows:

~ RED MEANS STOP. Just like motorists and cyclists, pedestrians must follow all traffic signals. That means, wait for a green to go.

~ Only use crosswalks to traverse streets. And, only walk when the “WALK” signal is flashing.

~ Pay attention to your surroundings. Before you step or pedal your way into or through an intersection or turn, or pull away from the curb and merge into traffic – look for cyclist, for pedestrians, for motor vehicles or other obstructions.
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