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Pedestrian-car accident study ranks Worcester as most dangerous

On Behalf of | Jul 27, 2017 | Car Accidents

Motor vehicles and pedestrians are meant to share the road. Traffic signals, crosswalks, speed limits, speed bumps – all are in place to keep pedestrians safe and stop drivers from engaging in reckless behaviors that can lead to an auto accident and injuries. Even with that, there will still be crashes that involve a vehicle and a pedestrian. More worrisome for residents of Worcester is that a recent study showed that for pedestrians, it is the most dangerous city in all of Massachusetts.

Of the top 496 intersections in which there are the most pedestrian accidents, Worcester is at the top of the list with 50 of them. In the study, an analysis was conducted examining more than 25,000 accidents. It then determined which intersections were the riskiest. This was based on how many accidents there were, and the injuries and deaths that were connected to these locations.

Between 2001 and 2014, there were slightly more than 25,000 pedestrians who were hit by vehicles in the state. Almost 14 percent of them that happened in general and slightly less than 13.5 percent in which there was an injury happened at those 496 intersections. That is well below 1 percent of the intersections in the state. Each had a minimum of five pedestrian accidents in that time frame. A discussion is underway to consider reducing the speed limit in the city to 25 mph. Research has shown that when a pedestrian-auto accident occurs at 30 mph, there is a greater likelihood of injuries and fatalities than if it is at a lower speed. A pedestrian survives 90 percent of the time if there is an accident at 20 mph, but 10 percent at 40 mph.

Several specific locations were mentioned as particularly dangerous, but everyone who is walking should be aware of the litany of risks with motor vehicles. When there is a crash between an auto and a pedestrian, it is imperative that the person who was hit and his or her family understand what they are facing in terms of medical bills, lost time at work and, if there was a fatality, the aftereffects of the accident. A legal filing can help to receive compensation after a pedestrian-car accident. Calling for advice and help is vital to pursuing a case.

Source: telegram.com, “Study: Worcester a dangerous place for pedestrians,” Cyrus Moulton, July 20, 2017

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