February 15, 2012
/24-7PressRelease/ -- The City of Chicago recently issued the results of a study conducted by the Department of Transportation which examined the number of pedestrians hit by motor vehicles in the city from 2005-2009. The good news is that the study showed that the 3,130 pedestrian accidents in 2009 were the lowest in the five years studied - and represented a 22 percent decline from 2001.
Also encouraging was the fact that the 34 fatalities attributed to
pedestrian crashes was the lowest death toll since the data was first available in 1994, and this number was 61 percent lower than the 1994 number of 88 pedestrian deaths.
Further Findings of the Study
The
Department of Transportation study examined the city as a whole and the Central Business District (CBD). A few notable distinctions were discovered between these two sample group areas; for example,
cabs were involved in 28 percent of the crashes in the CBD, but only 2 percent of crashes outside the CBD. Also, 66 percent of crashes occurred at intersections with traffic signals inside the CBD - outside the CBD, only 48 percent.
The study further found that the most dangerous time period for pedestrians was between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm on weekdays - with Thursdays being particularly treacherous. Males, 15 to 18-years-old had the most accidents, with the Near North Side and the Loop of the CBD having the most accidents of any specific areas.
Moreover, the circumstance most likely to have produced a pedestrian crash was a vehicle turning left on an arterial street. In all, 80 percent of serious or fatal pedestrian crashes occurred near intersections.
The Bad News
As the report notes, the CBD has very high levels of "commuters, tourists, business travelers and residents" - which explains the higher levels of pedestrian accidents. This large presence of pedestrians makes the location unique within Chicago, and further steps to reduce pedestrian accidents should be taken.
The bad news from the study was there were still 3,130 pedestrians hit in crashes and 34 of them died in 2009. While an improvement from other years, it still means there is much to be done to improve pedestrian safety in the Central Business District and citywide.
Article provided by Woodruff, Johnson & Palermo Injury Law Offices
Visit us at
www.woodrufflawyers.com---
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