Dangerous Travels

With every mode of travel there comes a certain amount of risk. While people tend to focus on automobile, motorcycle, and airplane travel, travel on foot and on personal units like bicycles is often overlooked. Although we all know that pedestrian and cyclist deaths and injuries do occur most of us believe those numbers to be rather small. Unfortunately reality shows us constantly that traveling by foot and on bicycle are both far more dangerous than most believe them to be. In fact recent data shows that over 14% of all crash victims are not those in a vehicle but rather pedestrians and those on bikes.

Taking Precautions

It is advisable to take precautions when travelling in any type of vehicle. Pedestrians and cyclists should take even greater precautions before stepping out into the streets and onto sidewalks. Such persons are not only contending with other pedestrian and riders but with automobiles as well. Negligent and/or irresponsible drivers can cause the type of damage that results in severe personal injury and/or death. To safeguard themselves against such dangers pedestrians should be as observant as possible while out. Pedestrians can wear brightly colored clothing or specialized vests to make themselves more visible while cyclists can and should wear protective gear like helmets, and pads over their knees, elbows, and even chests. Both cyclists and pedestrians should also refrain from wearing headphones while riding/walking and should never text and walk or ride. This will allow them to remain alert and give them an opportunity to react to imminent danger.

Who's Most Likely To Sustain Injury?

If the fact that walking and cycling are very dangerous ways to travel isn't surprising enough government data shows that 69% of walking and cycling injuries/deaths involve men. Moreover the vast majority of injuries and deaths occur between 6 and 9 pm though this tends to be the busiest time of day for streets. It might also surprise some that 34% of those injured or killed while walking/cycling had a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher. It's not only irresponsible and dangerous to drink and drive but to drink and walk/cycle too. Lastly, California, Florida, and Texas lead the United States in pedestrian and cyclist deaths. Fortunately for survivors and their families there are personal injury attorneys that help ensure culpable persons are held accountable for their negligent behavior.