People in Virginia most often think about their vehicles, ride sharing or public transportation when they think about how they travel each day. Generally, that is how people go from their homes to work, school, run errands and other destinations. However, people still generally walk at some point in time as well. This could simply be from the parking lot to a building but may also include a walk around the neighborhood.
When people walk, they usually will be on designated areas for pedestrians, such as sidewalks. However, when walking through parking lots or crossing streets, they will need to interact with the vehicles driving on the roads. Unfortunately, sometimes in these situations, pedestrians are hit by vehicles.
Pedestrian accident statistics
According to statistics from the Virginia Highway Safety Office, there was an increase in pedestrian accidents in 2021. There were a total of 1,399 pedestrian accidents in 2021, which was a 12.6% increase over the total number of pedestrian accidents in 2020.
There were also 1,325 pedestrian injuries, which was an 11.7% increase over 2020. Of the 1,325 injuries, 413 pedestrians were seriously injured. There were also 125 pedestrian fatalities in these accidents, which represents a 9.7% increase over 2020.
As the statistics show, unlike accidents between vehicles, almost all pedestrian accidents result in injuries to the pedestrians involved. Pedestrians do not have any protections and vehicles do not need to be traveling very fast to cause serious injuries to pedestrians. These injuries can completely change the victims’ lives and be very costly.
There are far too many pedestrian accidents in Virginia each year. The injuries certainly affect people physically and limit their ability to complete daily tasks. They also may require extensive medical treatment, which can be very costly. People may also be unable to work while they recover, which means that they will lose income. However, the victims may be able to receive compensation if the driver is responsible for causing the accident. Experienced attorneys understand the devastation these accidents cause pedestrians and may be able to help one become whole again.