Birmingham is a beautiful city located in the north-central region of Alabama. The city is often called the Magic City, referring to its magical growth in the early days.
It is a great city to live in. However, there is one more thing you should know about if you are living in Birmingham or planning to move there.
Pedestrian accidents are very common over there. In 2021, there was a 33% increase in pedestrian accidents in Birmingham. Almost all pedestrian accidents are preventable if the drivers and pedestrians are responsible.
The only hope for pedestrian accident victims is that they can file a claim and recover their losses. Birmingham pedestrian accident attorneys can help victims secure fair compensation for their losses.
Learning the common causes of pedestrian accidents can help in avoiding them. This blog post discusses the five common causes of pedestrian accidents in Birmingham.
Distracted Drivers
In modern times, it is rare to see a driver focused on the road. Many drivers are distracted in one way or another. They use their phone, use the GPS system, eat, etc.
It is a behavior that is dangerous for themselves and for others on the road. This behavior is more dangerous to pedestrians, as they don’t have any protection.
Distracted driving is of three types:
- Manual distraction
- Visual distraction
- Cognitive distraction
Car drivers should be more responsible. If you receive an important call that you can’t avoid, just pull over.
Intoxicated Drivers
Driving while intoxicated is another bad driver behavior that is even worse than distracted driving.
Intoxicated drivers will have impaired vision and a slow reaction speed. They will have zero control over the vehicle. Remember how Leonardo Dicaprio drives in The Wolf of the Wall Street movie after taking edibles? Do you think that’s safe?
Pedestrians are already hard to notice on the roads. With all the lights and other cars, it is easy to miss them. This is why it is important to be sober and focus on the road.
Reckless Drivers
Running a red light, taking a left turn, and speeding are considered reckless driving. Nowadays, people are always in a hurry. It seems like they are running away from something.
Patience is seldom seen in people. It is a great quality. Intersections are where most pedestrian accidents happen. Pedestrians expect drivers to obey the traffic rules, but drivers don’t want to.
Poor Visibility
As already mentioned, pedestrians are not visible to many motorists, especially at night.
A pedestrian can take some measures to make themselves more visible to motorists. They can wear bright clothes. One cannot expect drivers to see them, as a driver could be distracted or drunk.
Birmingham sometimes gets dense fog. It is the worst time to be a pedestrian. In such times, it is best to avoid walking.
Jaywalking
Jaywalking is illegal and unsafe. It is the act of crossing the road where there are no crosswalks.
Crosswalks are made for a reason. Pedestrians must only use crosswalks to cross the road.
Motorists don’t expect a person to cross the road at a random place. They won’t be able to react to a person running across the road.
Final Thoughts
Pedestrian accidents can be painful and stressful. The worst part is that accidents are preventable. Punishing negligence is the best way to control these accidents.
If you ever get hurt in a pedestrian accident, get a lawyer and file a personal injury claim. Insurance companies will try to cheat by making lowball offers, but a lawyer can protect you from them.
Experienced pedestrian accident lawyers will know all about the insurance company’s cheap strategies and formulate a counter strategy. You can trust them to calculate your losses and get you the compensation you deserve.
Also, if you get their help, you can focus on healing rather than dealing with the insurance companies.
