Hawaii is a pedestrian friendly state. After all, tourists tend to take to foot to see what the islands have to offer, and many residents walk to and from work. Although our state has its fair share of safety measures implemented to protect pedestrians, the fact remains that several people are injured and killed in pedestrian accidents each year on Hawaii.
What are the tops causes of pedestrian accidents?
If you frequently travel the islands on foot or you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, then gaining a clearer sense of the cause of these wrecks can be insightful. It might help you avoid one of these wrecks in the future, or it could help you articulate your legal arguments if you file a personal injury lawsuit.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the top causes of pedestrian accidents:
- Tourists who are unfamiliar with their surroundings: There’s a lot to see when you’re in Hawaii. For tourists who have rented a car, this means that it’s tempting to take their eyes off the road. But this can be dangerous, especially when they’re unfamiliar with local traffic patterns. All too often this results in a pedestrian accident that leaves a victim with serious injuries.
- Intoxication: There’s a vibrant nightlife in Hawaii. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, it can put pedestrians in harm’s way when intoxicated individuals climb behind the wheel of their vehicle. Alcohol and drug use can slow reaction time and render a driver unaware of their surroundings, which makes it all too easy for them to miss a crosswalk or a pedestrian who may be right in front of them.
- Distraction: Texting and driving is still problematic in Hawaii. The lack of attentiveness that results from texting and driving can cause a driver to speed through a crosswalk or otherwise fail to recognize pedestrians who may be in their path. But texting and driving isn’t the only distraction that poses a threat. Drivers who gawk at attractions or other accidents, or who look at a travel guide or interact with passengers in a way that causes them to take their eyes off the road can also be dangerous. Any of these behaviors can prove tragic.
- Speeding: Driving too fast is a major contributing factor to all types of accidents. However, it can be especially problematic when pedestrians are involved, given that these individuals don’t have the protections afforded to them when they’re in a vehicle. As a result, the injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident caused by speeding can be catastrophic.
- Left turns: Many pedestrian accidents are caused when drivers who are making a left turn fail to recognize that there’s a pedestrian in the intersection’s crosswalk. These situations often take pedestrians by surprise, as they aren’t always aware that there’s a car turning towards them when they’re rightfully in a crosswalk.
Find accountability for your pedestrian accident
The damages that result from a pedestrian accident can be life-altering. That’s why if you or a loved one has been victimized by one of these wrecks, you might want to think about taking legal action. A personal injury lawsuit could help you obtain a sense of closure, and it could lead to the recovery of much needed compensation. Yet, you won’t know what a claim can do for you until you build your case and aggressively pursue the outcome that you want.
With strong preparation and zealous advocacy, hopefully you’ll be able to hold the individual who harmed you accountable while recovering the compensation you need to be financially stable as you focus on your recovery.