The rise of car accidents in the last few years has put many drivers at risk, but it has also increased the threats to pedestrians. Those who are walking in Sacramento face a greater chance of being struck by a vehicle and the health outcomes can be high.
Pedestrian risks
There are several different factors that change how safe pedestrians are when it comes to car accidents. One of the most important of these is the design of sidewalks, intersections, and the other parts of the walkable transport system. The less protected pedestrians are from direct, high-speed traffic, the more likely they are to be struck by a vehicle. Sacramento is one of America’s worst cities in this regard due to its poor layout and lack of safety measures, especially in its lower-income areas.
Risks in Sacramento in particular
The result is that auto-pedestrian accidents are more likely in Sacramento and also more deadly compared to other cities. The speed and angle of an accident involving pedestrians affects how dangerous they are, but the pedestrian is always at a much greater risk than the driver and has less ability to avoid the vehicle than the vehicle has to avoid hitting them. Designing a city that is safe for pedestrians involves the use of speed limits, crosswalks, properly-built intersections, and easy access to alternative forms of public transportation so that fewer people need to walk.
The risk of being struck by a vehicle is one of the most dangerous aspects of walking, and the number of accidents and deaths from these crashes has been increasing for the last few years, which elevates the risk profile for pedestrians.