Don’t Settle For Less

Don’t Settle For Less

New Plan for Intersections Could Reduce Specific Pedestrian Accidents in New York City

On Behalf of | May 6, 2020 | Crosswalk Accident, Pedestrian Accidents, Premises Liability

Left-turn pedestrian accidents in New York City are among the most common types of pedestrian/car collisions in the city. Nationwide, they represent a full third (33%) of all pedestrian accidents at intersections. These types of crashes occur when a car is turning left or right at an intersection while a pedestrian is crossing the street. A number of factors make it difficult for drivers to see people in crosswalks. These contributory factors include the presence of other automobiles at the intersection, multiple lanes of traffic, and traffic light/crosswalk signal timing.

A new plan (called “centerline hardening”) could dramatically reduce the number of left-turn crosswalk accidents in New York City. A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) demonstrates that adding obstacles within the intersection decreases the risk of collisions.The study looked at the effect of adding bollards or other such barriers to extend the centerline of streets well into intersections. The experiments showed that:

· Drivers were forced to slow down upon entering intersections (decreasing the speed of turns to 15 MPH or slower by 36%)

· The angle at which they turned was increased

· The distance at which drivers noticed pedestrians in crosswalks was increased

All three of these factors combine to give drivers and pedestrians more time to react in order to prevent a potential pedestrian accident.

Indeed, real-world studies in Washington D.C. found that centerline hardening measures decreased what researchers called “conflicts” (instances in which cars or pedestrians had to dodge out of each other’s way) by as much as 70%. New York City already has some centerline hardening in effect but increasing the number of these infrastructural changes could radically decrease the risk of pedestrians being struck when crossing the street.

If you’ve been injured by a careless driver, you need an experienced crosswalk accident attorney in New York City in order to recover the compensation you deserve. Contact the experienced New York pedestrian accident lawyers at the Law Firm of Nussin S. Fogel today. Call 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation.

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